The National Highway Traffic Safety Standards proposed new fuel economy standards that greatly missed the intent of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Program to enhance energy security. That’s according to comments filed by the National Corn Growers Association, the Renewable Fuel Association, and the National Farmers Union.
They assert the proposal will lead to an overreliance on critical foreign minerals due to its singular dependence on electric vehicles. “As NHTSA determines the appropriate CAFE and fuel efficiency standards, it should avoid putting all our eggs into the electrification basket,” the groups say in their comments. “The proposal missed the intent of the CAFÉ program. As Congress acknowledged, solving energy security and air pollution issues related to the transportation sector require a diversified portfolio of approaches.”
The associations note problems with overreliance on electric vehicles because of the increased security vulnerabilities of getting critical minerals from overseas that are needed for the batteries.
