The American Petroleum Institute (API) has asked the USA road regulator to cancel a planned gradual increase in fuel efficiency requirements, which the industry group says effectively bans liquid-fuel vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is proposing to raise the fuel economy standards for passenger cars at a rate of two percent a year and light trucks at a rate of four percent per year for models with year designations that fall under 2027–31. For heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans (HDPUVs) with model years 2030–35, the planned increase is 10 percent per year.
Additionally, augural standards, or the levels of stringency that may be the maximum feasible in the future based on current information, are eyed for passenger cars and light trucks with the model year 2032 at respective rates of two percent and four percent year on year using prior-year standards as the point of comparison.
Under the NHTSA’s vehicle identification number requirements, model year designations could be less than two years relative to the model’s calendar year of production, according to a rule interpretation on the agency’s website.
“As producers, suppliers and retailers of liquid transportation fuels that power the vehicle types that would be covered by the proposed rule, API members have a significant interest in, and will be heavily impacted by the final rule because the rule would accelerate a shift away from such fuels”, the API said in…
