New Fuel Economy Rules Guarantee Industry Uncertainty At The Worst Moment


Washington, D.C.—In response to today’s release of new fuel economy rules by the Trump administration, Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) President and CEO, Robbie Diamond, made the following statement:

“At such a difficult time when regulatory certainty is needed more than ever in our auto industry, these rules will plunge U.S. automakers into even greater uncertainty and all but guarantee that our fuel economy standards will end up mired in lengthy litigation. Instead of being able to move forward on deploying connected, autonomous, shared and electric vehicle technologies that reduce our dependence on oil and help the U.S. compete with China for the future of transportation technology, this action will move us backward.”

Continuity for our nation’s automotive industry is particularly important, as its advanced production processes and skilled workforce form a manufacturing bedrock for the U.S. economy—taking on a strategic importance as the transportation sector stands on the cusp of a shift away from gasoline to an electrified future.

Through its Made In 2025 strategy, China seeks ownership of the electric vehicle (EV) supply chain as a means of gaining greater global authority and has scaled up its manufacturing and markets as a result: Of the 70 lithium-ion megafactories planned for development, 46 are in China. Just five are planned for the United States. Moreover, while cumulative U.S. sales of EVs since 2011 have recently passed 1.5 million, there were almost 1.2 million EVs sold in China in 2019 alone.

“In order to enhance U.S. energy security and maintain America’s global competitiveness we must continue to modernize our fuel economy standards, as we approach a new transportation future that is being transformed by new technology. Instead of helping automakers, these new standards threaten to jeopardize the United States’ global leadership in this critical transition,” Diamond added.

About Securing America’s Future Energy

Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) is an action-oriented, nonpartisan organization that aims to reduce America’s dependence on oil. Near-total dependence on petroleum in the transportation sector undermines the nation’s economic and national security, and constrains U.S. foreign policy. To combat these threats, SAFE advocates for expanded domestic production of U.S. oil and gas resources, continued improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency, and transportation sector innovations including electric vehicles, natural gas trucks, and autonomous vehicles. In 2006, SAFE joined with General P.X. Kelley (Ret.), 28th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, and Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President, and CEO of FedEx Corporation, to form the Energy Security Leadership Council (ESLC), a group of business and former military leaders committed to reducing the United States’ dependence on oil. Today, the ESLC is co-chaired by Frederick W. Smith and General James T. Conway (Ret), 34th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.
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