Jonathan Martel Assesses the Impact of NHTSA’s Fuel Economy Rule in Law360

Jonathan Martel, co-chair of Arnold & Porter’s Environmental practice group, was quoted in the recent Law360 article, “NHTSA Fuel Economy Regs Overhaul Crushes EV Ambitions,” which examines the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) final rule revising the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light trucks.

The rule sets a 2031 fleetwide fuel efficiency target, and the article outlines that legal challenges from environmental groups are expected. Jonathan discussed the context for the changes, noting that the prior administration's standards were demanding. “The [fuel economy] rules the Biden administration adopted were very stringent, and there was always a need, based on various circumstances, for some course correction,” he said.

Jonathan also addressed what the new standards mean in practice. Congress has already eliminated the civil penalties automakers previously faced for missing CAFE targets, which raises the question of how much the revised standards will matter. “With those being zeroed out, the question is what difference does this make?” he said.

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