New CAFE Standard Yesterday

[dmcg940]

So the Biden Admin (bless their hearts) announced yesterday that they have raised the current 41 mpg CAFE standard to 56 mpg, effective with the 2026 model year. Good Lord almighty! That's less than one product cycle from now. Very few current car models meet that standard, much less any manufacturer's full fleet.

So what does that imply? I think it means you should buy your last Coyote as soon as you can. Ford can't stand a 19 mpg Mustang if it has to average 55 mpg. I think it means if you want any car bigger than a breadbox and not powered by an electric motor, you better make your plans. That 56 mpg number isn't based on practicality or engineering or attainability. It's a number the Biden admin grabbed out of a hat and it's going to have huge repercussions. But maybe (probably?) that's what they intended. Whatever, the auto industry won't ever be the same. Even if the Dems lose in 2024 and the Republicans back off that standard, decisions and plans have to be made now and in the next year or two to accommodate production schedules for 2026. The train is leaving the station, forever. Shed a tear.

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[EFI]

Great, so let's concentrate most of our efforts on a tiny portion of a tiny portion of overall global emissions and pollution. Nevermind that a couple of un-regulated countries produce a majority of pollution. Nevermind that cruise ships produce 10x more pollution than all cars in the world.

This isn't about saving the environment anymore, it's purely political/monetary.

 

[FreePenguin]

uhm. that isnt possible with full sized vehicles and gas engines.
does that mean they are doing this because the build back bill failed? so instead of giving people incentives to buy electric, they are just banning gasers from being produced because cant meet the requirement?

this is bad.

 

[vdin]

This is slightly above the standard Obama set for the same time period at 54.5mpg. I pretty sure car makers were already in motion with their plans to reduce emissions significantly through electrification, hybridization, turbos, etc. IMO this changes nothing.

 

[dmcg940]

This is slightly above the standard Obama set for the same time period at 54.5mpg. I pretty sure car makers were already in motion with their plans to reduce emissions significantly through electrification, hybridization, turbos, etc. IMO this changes nothing.

What do you mean, this changes nothing? Name an ICE vehicle in production today that meets the standard. And no, the manufacturers were politically in favor of the Obama 47.5 mpg standard but were never on track to meet it. This new 56 mpg standard, a mere 48 months from now, is a huge mountain to climb. It is nearly a third above the current requirement, which most manufacturers struggle to meet.

 

[Crowd Hunter]

I think it's a bit more nuanced than just saying the corporate average fuel economy has to be 55 mpg, but here's a better explanation of the new rules (from a very liberal site):

New EPA Fuel Economy Rules: A Look Behind The Numbers - CleanTechnica

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