As Ford Authority reported yesterday, Sean Duffy has been sworn in as the new Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) as part of the Trump administration, and his first act was to sign a memorandum directing staff to start the process of resetting Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, as long expected. This is one of several policy changes expected to take place in the coming weeks that impact the automotive industry in some way, and now, the Ford-backed lobby group Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI) has come out in full support of Duffy.
“Alliance for Automotive Innovation congratulates Representative Duffy on his confirmation. The Department of Transportation has extensive jurisdiction over the auto industry – a sector that employs 10 million Americans in all 50 states, builds 10.3 million vehicles a year and drives $1 trillion into the economy annually,” said John Bozzella, president and CEO of Alliance for Automotive Innovation. “His leadership at the department over the next few years will help ensure the American auto industry remains healthy and competitive – and in a position to guarantee the country’s economic and national security.”
As Ford Authority previously reported, AAI has long supported Trump’s mission to revise or eliminate some Biden-era policies, but it has also asked the President to retain the clean energy tax credit – something that Trump is considering eliminating as well. As for Ford CEO Jim Farley, he has stated that he isn’t too worried about the impacts any of these policy changes might have on the business, though some will directly affect the company and its rivals.
Some of those proposed Trump policy changes include potential tariffs that could be placed on goods imported from places like Mexico and China, which would impact some of Ford’s more affordable models. Additionally, the Trump administration recently put a rule on hold that mandates automatic emergency braking be present as standard equipment on all passenger cars and light trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less by September 2029 – a rule that AAI has opposed and even filed a lawsuit over.
Comments
So the AAI supports a ban on CAFE, which in and of itself has cleaned up the environment and reduced our dependence on oil. Which in turn will cause this country to burn MORE fuel, increasing our reliance on oil, padding the pockets of oil industry executives, and costing consumers MORE money.
So glad I bought an EV that supports this BS.
I’m so so sorry I bought a new Ford this summer. Have been an owner since the 80’s.
Your glee about the roll back of fuel efficiency and EV’s and your support of this nut job in the Oval Office is depressing. For this first time I am looking to trade and move. So sad corporations have caved.