AISI Supports SAFE Approach to Vehicle Emissions

The American Iron and Steel Institute continues to support the Trump administration’s plan to ease vehicle fuel economy and emissions standards. In a submission to the EPA during the public comment period that ended Oct. 26, AISI expressed its support of the general direction of the proposal, which would establish a standard that balances the priorities of affordability, safety, jobs and the environment, said President and CEO Thomas J. Gibson.

The auto industry has struggled to meet the current corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards set under the Obama administration. The Trump administration’s Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Proposed Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 would amend existing CAFE and tailpipe carbon dioxide emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks and establish new standards covering model years 2021 through 2026. The proposal basically would freeze the model year 2020 standards through model year 2026. If adopted, administration officials maintain the change would save more than $500 billion in societal costs, while still reducing highway fatalities and safeguarding the environment—claims environmental groups and other opponents strongly dispute.