The Biden administration on Friday released its latest regulatory attempt to more than double the federal efficiency requirements applied to gas-powered cars and trucks currently in production and owned by millions of Americans in the latest escalation of his crusade to "end" fossil fuels.
Coming from the Transportation Department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the updated "Corporate Average Fuel Economy" (CAFE) standards for how far Americans' vehicles must travel on one gallon of gas would apply to model years 2027 through 2032 and require a certain minimum miles-per-gallon (MPG) rating on those vehicles.
From the Department of Transportation's release on the new proposed standard:
If finalized, the proposal would require an industry fleet-wide average of approximately 58 miles per gallon for passenger cars and light trucks in MY 2032, by increasing fuel economy by 2% year over year for passenger cars and by 4% year over year for light trucks. For heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans, the proposal would increase fuel efficiency by 10% year over year.
For context, the federal government says the "average" new vehicle from model year 2023 gets 28 MPG. Twenty-eight, compared to Biden's goal of 58. The Biden administration's rule, therefore, would require automakers to more than double the efficiency of their fleets within the next decade or face fines or other federal penalties. That's a tall order.
According to Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the new standards would mean "more money in Americans' pockets and stronger energy security for the entire nation," a rich statement for a member of the administration that has destroyed America's energy independence and caused the average cost for a gallon of unleaded gas to reach its all-time high.
On the day Biden took office, the national average for a gallon of unleaded fuel cost $2.393, according to AAA. By June 14, 2022, that cost had surged to its record high of $5.016 per gallon before settling at the current price of $3.732 for a gallon — $1.34 more per gallon than the average when Biden kicked off his war on fossil fuels.
Despite Biden's use of emergency oil stored in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to pump up supply and bring the price of gas down from its all-time high, Americans are paying some 18 cents more per gallon than they were just one month ago, suggesting that Biden's efforts to artificially bring down prices may be failing.
The answer to high energy costs is less of Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg's heavy-handed governance and more of what America had achieved before Biden took over: American energy.
"At a time when prices for new vehicles are at all-time highs, NHTSA’s new fuel economy standards will add even more to the price tag, depriving people of safe, affordable vehicles," remarked House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) on Friday. "These new penalties put an additional burden on manufacturers as well, which will ultimately be passed along to the hardworking people of this county. This is another part of President Biden's full regulatory assault to force Americans to buy unaffordable electric vehicles and cede our automotive future to China," said McMorris Rodgers.
"Increasing costs, limiting people’s choices, and decimating our energy independence is not a solution to beat China," reminded McMorris Rodgers. "If the Biden Administration is serious about road safety, affordability, and beating China, it should work to secure our supply chains, reduce regulatory burdens, and unleash American energy," she said.
In the upper chamber, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) voiced similar concerns. "President Biden is prioritizing his radical green fantasy over the needs of hardworking Americans. These new standards drive up costs, line the pockets of Communist China, and support child and slave labor," noted Ernst. "I will continue to expose Biden’s policies for what they are – reckless and out-of-touch."
