Climate Mayors Statement in Support of Strong Auto Efficiency Standards

Climate Mayors responds to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt’s April 2, 2018 announcement of proposed weakening of corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards: 

As mayors representing 69 million Americans, across 47 states (and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico), with millions of vehicles on our roads, we strongly support the current federal standards on vehicle fuel efficiency and oppose the Trump Administration’s efforts to roll back this important policy.  Today’s announcement leaves the health of American families hanging in the balance while creating uncertainty in the automotive market. The standards adopted by the US EPA in 2011 are saving American drivers money at the gas pump, keeping the country competitive in a sector trending toward zero emissions innovation, and cleaning up the air we all breathe.

As mayors, we are bound by our common commitment to lead in the fight against climate change. Last year 30 Climate Mayors released a joint Electric Vehicle Request for Information (EV RFI) proving to car companies that if they build zero emissions vehicles, we will buy them. These first 30 cities put forward a combined 114,000 vehicles representing $10 billion in industry value. We want these vehicles because they save us money, offer new technologies and services, and protect local communities from harmful air pollution.

We will continue our efforts to hasten the transition to more efficient and zero emissions vehicles. We had long viewed the federal government as a partner on clean cars, but we won’t let it take us backwards.