Innovation is happening across the nation. Thousands of American factories and hundreds of thousands of workers that are building cutting edge technology that goes into making our cars and trucks cleaner and more fuel efficient.
A report released in May by the BlueGreen Alliance and the Natural Resources Defense Council found that building clean vehicle technology supports 288,000 manufacturing and engineering jobs at more than 1,200 facilities in 48 states. These workers are making technology that improves fuel economy for today’s innovative vehicles—everything from more efficient transmissions and turbo-charged engines to light-weight steel and aluminum to electric power steering and regenerative braking.
Under the current fuel economy standards, American factories and workers have proven that we can lead in developing the innovative, clean vehicle technologies that boost fuel economy, cut pollution, and save consumers money at the pump. At the same time, the industry has brought back hundreds of thousands of jobs. Investments in factories that make fuel-efficient technologies are helping rebuild American manufacturing.
Five years into the implementation of the landmark fuel economy standards, the industry is strongly profitable while building much more fuel-efficient cars, SUV’s and trucks that consumers have purchased at record levels. Increased investment to meet the standards has meant more orders for U.S.-manufactured technology, parts and equipment, and upgrades, retooling and job growth at factories across the country.
It is clear that these standards are working—for this nation’s auto industry, our economy and our environment. Despite this progress, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reopened a review of the current standards, and could weaken them—putting American advanced manufacturing and jobs at risk.
Today’s clean vehicle and fuel economy standards demonstrate that America can bring back jobs and manufacturing, while also protecting the environment and combating climate change. Keeping this progress going depends on strong, long-term, fuel economy and clean vehicle standards. Now is not the time to move backwards.
EPA’s comment period on the fuel economy standards closes today, Thursday, October 5. There is still time to urge the EPA to keep the fuel economy standards strong for the sake of our economy, jobs, innovation and the environment.
At a time when the nation is focused on how to create and maintain good manufacturing jobs, , the last thing we should do rollback the progress being made under the fuel economy and clean vehicle standards. This nation’s auto sector manufacturers and workers have proven that America can bringing back jobs, creating new ones, developing innovative, leading technologies, and combating climate change all at the same time. Let’s keep this momentum going!