On Thursday, President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially repealed regulations pertaining to greenhouse gases emitted by new cars, trucks, SUVs, and commercial vehicles. This action specifically eliminated the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding, which had been published during the Obama Administration. Consequently, federal greenhouse gas emission standards for all model-year 2012 to 2027 vehicles and beyond have been removed. The ruling also did away with nearly all off-cycle credits, including features like the engine stop-start system.

The EPA justified these changes by claiming that the previous regulations partly drove up the cost of manufacturing cars, and that their removal would save American consumers “over $1.3 trillion.” However, this assertion faces scrutiny, as past analysis indicated that greenhouse gas regulations were not a primary factor in offshoring automobile manufacturing. Furthermore, while the repeal might reduce R&D costs for developing cleaner powertrains, automakers are not obligated to pass these potential savings onto consumers, nor is there a guarantee they would. Critically, the U.S. ceasing regulation is unlikely to significantly impact automaker R&D spending, as major car markets elsewhere are not lowering or eliminating standards, meaning automakers will still need to invest in such technologies to sell vehicles internationally.

Adding to the controversy, Thursday’s EPA announcement also went as far as to deny the effects of tailpipe emissions on climate change. The agency claimed that “Even if the U.S. were to eliminate all [greenhouse gas] emissions from all vehicles, there would be no material impact on global climate indicators through 2100.” This statement directly contradicts previous data: almost 20 percent of all U.S. emissions are caused by cars and trucks, and in 2009, the EPA under the Obama administration had reported finding greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, to be harmful to the public, leading to the implementation of stricter fuel economy and emissions requirements.