CoPIRG Condemns Rollback of Fuel Economy Standards

Media Contacts

Use of “Safety” to Kill Fuel Economy Standards Flat-Out Wrong

CoPIRG Foundation

In response to the Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration’s proposal to roll back national fuel economy standards and strip the rights of states to adopt their own strong emissions standards, Danny Katz, Director of CoPIRG Foundation, released the following statement:

“We are outraged and extremely disappointed. Fuel economy standards make cars more efficient, saving Coloradans money at the pump year-after-year. The Trump Administration’s action sucks money out of the wallets of Coloradans and Colorado businesses. 

What is worse, the Trump Administration wants to take away Colorado’s right to protect Coloradans from air pollution and volatile gas prices by adopting a state level clean cars standard.

Thirteen states plus the District of Columbia have adopted reasonable state standards that require automakers to make less polluting vehicles that also save consumers money. Governor Hickenlooper has kicked off the process for Colorado to adopt those same, strong standards, which benefit our pocketbooks, our health and our economy. 

The justification that somehow this rollback will make vehicles safer is flat-out wrong. 

CoPIRG will fight this roll back, which would force families to pay more at the pump. We will fight for fuel economy standards that protect consumers from gas price spikes. We will also fight for states’ rights to put their citizens first.”

To date, fuel economy standards have saved Colorado households $550 million dollars, and by 2030, each Colorado household could be $2,700 richer

The 2012 federal fuel economy standards pushed car manufacturers to make their cars more fuel efficient, which means the average on-road fuel economy of new cars and trucks in 2025 would be 37 mpg versus an average of 21 mpg in 2011, if the Trump Administration does not take this action. 

A recent report from the Consumer Federation of America, “Fuel Economy Standards: There is No Tradeoff with Safety, Cost and Fleet Turnover,” indicates that as fuel efficiency has increased, new vehicles have become safer, sold more and are replacing older less safe vehicles in record numbers.