Decision will damage US competitiveness for years – E2 Executive Director
US risks rolling back US jobs with move – EV business leader
With the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moving to weaken emissions and fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks, E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) Executive Director Bob Keefe and E2 member RJ Harrington released comments today saying the decision would be a mistake—pointing to the industry’s growth in jobs, global competitiveness, and innovation since the rules were first introduced in 2012.
The decision is likely to set the stage for a reduction in fuel economy standards for vehicles made between 2022 and 2025 – costing consumers and small businesses money at the pump, creating uncertainty in a booming efficient vehicles and parts sector, and degrading American competitiveness.
The following is a statement from Bob Keefe, executive director of the national, nonpartisan business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs):
“While the rest of the world speeds ahead with cleaner, more efficient cars and trucks, and an eye on competing at a global scale, the Trump administration is fixed on pushing for short-sighted changes to these standards, which automakers are set to achieve on time and under budget. Cleaner and more efficient vehicles means more jobs in innovative technologies and more dollars back in the pockets of small businesses and consumers.
“Americans voted for an economy built for the future, but this administration continues to ignore experts and the auto industry ‘s own progress to push a vision that will damage U.S. competitiveness for years to come.”
The following is reaction from E2 member RJ Harrington, Director – Business Development at Denver-based EV charging infrastructure company National Car Charging:
“More efficient and increasingly electric vehicles are essential to our clean energy future. As more electric vehicles built here in the US enter the market to meet the accelerating demand of EV drivers, opportunities in electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI) continue to take-off all across the US. This has meant more jobs, local jobs, and jobs that will continue to expand to meet the demands of the burgeoning EV footprint.
“While National Car Charging has grown its own EVCI business line to serve the increasing domestic plug-in and battery EV market, recent contracts have taken us abroad and our business model will follow demand.
“If US emissions targets are rolled back, we risk rolling back local jobs and American innovation that are moving our country toward a globally competitive clean energy economy.”
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Background:
- 250,000 Americans work in Clean Vehicles – E2 Clean Jobs America Factsheet
- Auto parts makers/suppliers support fuel economy standards – Automotive Technology Leadership Group
- 288,000 US workers at more than 1,200 facilities in 48 states build fuel-efficient technologies— Ingenuity II: U.S. Suppliers Of Key Clean, Fuel-Efficient Vehicle Technologies
- The top 10 States for clean vehicle Jobs — Driving Fuel Economy E2 Factsheet
- List of E2 members active on Twitter.
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Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) is a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors, and professionals from every sector of the economy who advocate for smart policies that are good for the economy and good for the environment. Our members have founded or funded more than 2,500 companies, created more than 600,000 jobs, and manage more than $100 billion in venture and private equity capital. For more information, see www.e2.org or follow us on Twitter at @e2org.