Of course, we all remember when trucks and SUVs were mostly for folks who needed to haul stuff for work? Today, huge trucks cram highways for basic errands while sedans become endangered species. Americans love their cars big and a federal loophole is partly to blame for this truck takeover!
Where it All Started
See, back in the 1970s when emissions rules were cooked up, trucks got leniency since only contractors and ranchers drove them. Made sense then – why stick farmers with strict rules meant for everyday cars?
Fast forward to 2010, and the EPA extended this “SUV loophole” so automakers could sell bigger “light trucks” with lower emission standards. Automakers started pushing truck-like crossovers and smaller SUVs to bring down their overall fleet emissions.
Ten years later, trucks account for 3 in 5 new vehicles sold, while cars plummeted from half of sales to just 1 in 5. Crazy!
This explosion of SUVs and trucks hurts more than just the planet. Studies show bigger vehicles lead to more deadly crashes with pedestrians and bikers. Plus they guzzle way more gas, contributing to climate change.
But the EPA’s latest proposal aims to close this SUV loophole by making emission rules for cars and trucks more similar. No more easy passes for automakers. This could deter them from supersizing future vehicles quite so much.
When Can We Expect the Rules to Change?
One thing is clear, the truckification trend will not reverse overnight.
Consumers love the size and perceived safety of SUVs. And they rake in huge profits for automakers over smaller cars.
But closing the loophole will push automakers to electrify their massive gas-guzzlers. And over time, it could put smaller vehicles back on the menu.
