Court battles will leave automakers in limbo. The fate of vehicle emissions standards may rest on who wins the Nov. 3 presidential election. Democratic candidate Joe Biden vows to toughen fuel economy standards to ensure “100% of new sales for light- and medium-duty vehicles will be electrified.”
U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, said, “This legally flawed rule means more uncertainty and more litigation. This rule will not provide regulatory relief to automakers, it will do just the opposite.”
The Obama standards, adopted in 2012, sought to raise fuel efficiency standards to an estimated 46.7 mpg by 2026, which officials had said would save motorists $1.7 trillion in fuel costs and eliminate 2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide over the life of the vehicles but cost the auto industry about $200 billion over 13 years.
Carper said earlier this year the draft proposal would result in a 40.5 mpg average for the combined…
