In 2012, the U.S. Government finalized greenhouse gas reduction and fuel efficiency standards for new cars and passenger vehicles in model years 2017-2025. These Clean Car standards were adopted with broad support from automakers, labor and consumers.
Cars and light trucks account for about 45 percent of all U.S. oil consumption and more than 20 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
The Clean Car Standards would cut harmful climate pollution and nearly double our current fuel economy performance by 2025. They built on the adoption of the first-ever national scale greenhouse gas pollution reduction and efficiency standards for model years 2012-2016, finalized in 2010.
Progress now threatened
In March of 2020, the Trump administration formally rolled back the Clean Car Standards – a move that will add more dangerous pollution to our air, making Americans sicker and causing thousands of premature deaths. It will also cost jobs and increase the cost of driving for American families.
Clean cars by the numbers
Between now and midcentury, a rollback will mean:
- 18,500 more premature deaths
- 250,000 more asthma attacks
By 2040, a rollback will mean:
- 1.5 billion tons of climate pollution
- 142 billion more gallons of gasoline used
- $244 billion more that Americans will pay at the gas pump
Broad support for clean cars
Ford, Honda, BMW, and Volkswagen have each already announced separate voluntary frameworks with California for continued nationwide pollution reductions from their vehicles. Hours after the Trump administration’s rollback was finalized, Volvo announced that it is in discussions with California about a similar voluntary pollution reduction agreement.
A bipartisan coalition of 24 governors urged the Trump administration not to tear down the Clean Car Standards. Several state leaders and others, including EDF, have said they are prepared to go to court to fight the rollback.
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