California Attorney General Rob Bonta, representing a coalition of 15 state attorneys general, has filed an amicus brief with the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The brief supports the National Highway Traffic Safety Association's (NHTSA) fuel-economy standards for various vehicle types, including passenger cars and trucks. These standards aim to improve fuel efficiency and provide benefits to consumers nationwide.
Attorney General Bonta expressed concern over opposition from Republican-led states and oil industry groups, who are challenging these federal standards while also targeting California’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) standards. "Efficient vehicles and clean vehicles should not be partisan issues," said Bonta. "We are at a critical juncture in protecting our people and the environment."
The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 mandates NHTSA to set Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards at feasible levels for manufacturers. These standards help conserve fuel, save consumer costs, stabilize U.S. exposure to global oil price fluctuations, and reduce environmental impacts. Last June, NHTSA announced updated CAFE standards for model years 2027-2031 aimed at increasing fleet-wide fuel efficiency for automakers.
Challengers argue that NHTSA's development of CAFE standards disregards the prevalence of electric vehicles in the market. They criticize NHTSA's recognition of automakers' compliance with California's ZEV standards as a reason to question California’s emissions regulations—a theory previously rejected by courts.
California's ZEV standards form a crucial part of its strategy to mitigate health and environmental risks associated with vehicle emissions like ozone and particulates. These state-level emission guidelines operate independently from federal fuel-economy regulations under provisions allowed by the Clean Air Act.
The amicus brief defends both NHTSA’s fuel-economy measures and California’s ZEV standards against what it describes as inappropriate challenges within a federal rule dispute context. Bonta leads his counterparts from states including Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia in this legal effort.
A copy of the amicus brief is available for public access.