WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Zero Emission Transportation Association’s Executive Director Albert Gore issued this statement following the release of new rules for the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Program by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today:

“The CAFE program was created in the 1970s in response to price shocks at the pump that raised costs for every American. Lowering these standards now, when so many families are already struggling with rising transportation costs, will only make things harder for them. At the same time, lowering the bar for innovation risks a future where the global auto market leaves American industry behind.

“Over the past nine months, global auto sales have shifted rapidly toward alternative drivetrains, led by record EV sales that are on pace to account for 29% of all new vehicles sold this year. Here at home, rising gas prices are driving more interest in EVs and other alternative drivetrains. Now is not the time to lower the bar.”