Yesterday the Ninth Court of Appeals in San Francisco voided fuel economy standards set in 2006 for light trucks, ordering the federal highway commission to create new fuel economy standards for upcoming models that take into account the environmental effects of vehicle emissions.
The appellate court also ruled that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) must close a loophole that allows SUVs and other light trucks to meet lower fuel efficiency standards than cars, which are roughly the same weight.
In addition, the NHTSA will be required to set fuel efficiency standards for large pickup trucks, which have been exempt from rules thus far.
The ruling is the latest legal setback for the auto industry and adds a new piece to the debate over Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) currently being waged in congress. The most ambitious proposal is to boost fuel efficiency standards to 35 mpg for all vehicles by 2020.
The 2006 standards set by the NHTSA, which prompted the lawsuit by 11 states and several environmental groups, required light trucks to get 24 miles per gallon by 2011, an increase of less than 2 mpg over 2007 models. The standard for sedans, compacts and wagons, remained at 27.5, where it has stayed for nearly two decades.
Plaintiffs in the case described the standard for light trucks as “arbitrary and capricious.” The light trucks designation includes SUVs minivans and small pickup trucks, which together make up half the sales in the U.S. market.
The Sierra Club claims vehicles in the light trucks designation account for 8% of global warming emissions in the U.S.
The courts ruling stated that the government agency’s environmental study for the 2006 standards was inadequate and failed to assign sufficient value to carbon dioxide emissions reductions.
The court asked that new standards be written as “expeditiously as possible.” However, because manufacturers have completed plans for most vehicles up through the year 2011, it is uncertain what effect the ruling will have.
Concerning the courts decision and the possibility of an appeal, Justice Department spokesman Charles Miller said, “It’s currently under review and we’re considering our options.”
Plaintiffs represented in the suit included California, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Minnesota, the District of Columbia, the city of New York, The Sierra Club and the National Resources Defense Council Inc.
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