4 sticking points in the gas-mileage rule debate

Will cheaper cars help or hurt environment?

President Donald Trump’s administration officially proposed Thursday to freeze federal fuel economy standards after the 2020 model year, reversing President Barack Obama’s move to cement the regulations late in his administration.

How does it affect you? Views vary widely in a debate involving regulators, politicians, consumer advocates, states, environmentalists and automakers.

Here are the key areas in dispute:

❚ Costs: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the proposed freeze would prevent vehicle prices from increasing by an average of about $2,340. Automakers have also argued against increased standards for this reason.

“Automakers support continued improvements in fuel economy and flexibilities that incentivize advanced technologies while balancing priorities like affordability, safety, jobs and the environment,” the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents major auto companies on U.S. policy issues, said in a statement.

But consumer advocates contend that fuel economy improvements save drivers on gas in the long run. There’s also no guarantee that automakers can’t achieve higher gas-mileage standards without increasing prices.

❚ The environment: Environmentalists contend that weaker gas-mileage standards worsen climate change by creating more greenhouse gas emissions. They say that more fuel-efficient cars will help curb these harmful effects. Trump’s EPA argued that avoiding stricter standards keeps vehicles cheaper, which allows consumers to replace their older, less fuel-efficient cars with newer more fuel-efficient cars. Generally speaking, newer vehicles are more fuel-efficient than older cars.

❚ Safety: NHTSA argued Thursday that the plan would save lives.

It’s a roundabout take that goes something like this: Preventing higher vehicle costs makes new cars with better safety technology more affordable for consumers, thus preventing roadway deaths.

But the argument that it makes a big impact is “laughable,” Robert Weissman, president of watchdog group Public Citizen, said in a statement.

❚ States’ rights: California, for example, has been historically allowed to set more stringent emissions standards than the federal government to curb pollution. But the Trump administration is seeking to remove that authority, saying the nation should have one standard, not a hodgepodge of rules. Automakers have backed Trump on this.