International Automakers to Participate in Hearings Outlining Plans for Single National Greenhouse Gas and Fuel Economy Program

The Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, Inc. (AIAM) today expressed its ongoing support for a comprehensive, national approach to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while improving fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks. The first of three joint hearings is to be held today in Detroit, Mich., by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on proposed harmonized rulemaking for GHG emissions and Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) for model years 2012 through 2016 vehicles. "Today's joint hearing marks the next important step in the process of aligning EPA, NHTSA and California regulations in an effort to help curb global climate change and improve energy security through the reduction of oil consumption," said Michael J. Stanton, AIAM's President and CEO. "We believe that the successful implementation of a single national program will help preserve the widest range of choice in new vehicle purchases for American consumers and allow sufficient lead time for manufacturers to thoroughly engineer and test next-generation vehicles for timely introduction to the market," Stanton continued. "We are grateful that EPA and NHTSA are working together to seek harmonization of their two regulatory programs despite the significant structural differences of their enabling statutes. We will continue to offer our cooperation in support of this ongoing effort." Full release.