EPA Defies Automakers by Keeping Efficiency Standards Intact

  • Final determination ends EPA review of auto carbon standards
  • EPA says 50.8 mpg goal is affordable; automakers say it’s not
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it’s keeping vehicle efficiency standards intact through the 2025 model year, shoring up a key piece of President Barack Obama’s environmental legacy against a challenge by the incoming administration.

The agency issued its determination Friday reaffirming its earlier finding that no major changes are necessary in greenhouse gas standards for cars and light-duty trucks. The move, completed just days before Obama leaves office, makes it more difficult, but not impossible, for President-elect Donald Trump’s administration to ease off on the standards.