Common Resources

The New CAFE Standards: Are They Enough on Their Own?

The new CAFE standards may require complementary policies to meet the ambitious goals of reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In a new RFF discussion paper, I examine the new footprint standards, their implications for changes to the size mix of vehicles, and the role of credit policies on compliance and cost-effectiveness of the […]

The Limits of a Gasoline Tax

In a recent New York Times Sunday magazine “It’s Your Money” column, journalist Adam Davidson bemoaned his gridlocked commute from New York City to New Jersey, writing that he would have “happily paid whatever it cost to persuade some other drivers that it wasn’t worth it for them to be on the road.” Mr. Davidson […]

Improving Fuel Economy In Heavy-Duty Vehicles: What To Expect From The New Regulations

In November 2010, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jointly proposed new federal regulations mandating improvements in fuel economy among heavy-duty commercial vehicles (HDVs)—i.e. heavy-duty trucks, buses and vans. This industry is no stranger to government regulation in many different policy areas. NHTSA has for many years regulated […]

New CAFE Standards Are Good — But Hardly the Best Climate Policy

In a new post over at the Progressive Fix, Nathan takes an in-depth look at CAFE standards released last week by the EPA. While pushing the U.S. fleet-wide fuel economy to 35 miles per gallon by 2020 is certainly a step forward, he wonders whether that step—and its underlying analysis—is really taking U.S. climate policy […]

How Much Will New Vehicle Efficiency Standards Really Help Climate (or Consumers)?

Cars and trucks sold in the U.S. will have to be a little more efficient, according to new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards released today by the EPA. CAFE standards are our standard tool for promoting vehicle efficiency, and have been the subject of past research here at RFF. The new standards are largely […]

Time for Automotive Emissions Labels?

As a companion the newly-announced plan for CAFE standards, the EPA is likely to use its authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate CO2 emissions from autos on a gram-per-mile basis. With these new developments the time might be right for the government to provide car buyers with gram-per-mile information they can incorporate into […]