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[enzo_gt]

The proposed budget includes a 99% cut in operating costs to the National Vehicle And Fuel Emissions Lab (NVFEL) which enforces and screens new vehicles to ensure they meet regulations. The short article doesn't talk about it, and I don't know anything about the process, but I wonder what impact this has on getting cars approved for sale int he first place if there's 1% of the system that was there before to handle that.

Coming off of Dieselgate, I feel the world should be extra vigilant about the claims automakers make about their emissions and fuel efficiency with the pressures put on them nationally and internationally.

The lab’s importance cannot be overstated: its job is to make sure new vehicles meet fuel economy and emissions standards, and that as vehicles age, their emissions equipment continues to function properly to protect our environment.

In addition, the NVFEL—which employs over 400 employees with engineering, chemistry, toxicology, law and economics backgrounds—analyzes fuels and additives, and even develops its own fuel economy and emissions-improving technologies.

It’s a lab full of of experts who hold 60 patents in advanced technologies, and who—according to the Detroit Free Press—are now having their funding reduced by $48 million (or approximately 99 percent of the operating costs according to the Save EPA Ann Arbor Facebook campaign page), as part of the current administrations 31 percent EPA budget cut.

The current administration has called for a fee-based system in which automakers would pay the laboratory for its work. But this may not be such a hot idea, as policy counsel for the Consumers Union told The Detroit Free Press this “pay to play situation” would likely take years to set up, and could give automakers more influence over the testing process. Talk about a conflict of interest.

Source (see "1st Gear").

 

[Nerdkiller]

Also, didn't Congress just approve of the budget that managed to keep almost 100% of EPA funding? Not to mention that even if this cut does come to pass, they'll still have to contend with state by state regulations like in California which can be notoriously strict and therefore would be better off making more efficient cars than just leaving money on the table or get fined.

Spoiler

I'm not US, so I'm probably not as well versed on this as I would like.

 

[exmachina64]

Also, didn't Congress just approve of the budget that managed to keep almost 100% of EPA funding? Not to mention that even if this cut does come to pass, they'll still have to contend with state by state regulations like in California which can be notoriously strict and therefore would be better off making more efficient cars than just leaving money on the table or get fined.

Spoiler

I'm not US, so I'm probably not as well versed on this as I would like.

The EPA as a whole is receving a 1% budget cut, within that 1% is a 99% budget cut for this lab.

 

[Lord Frieza]

Also, didn't Congress just approve of the budget that managed to keep almost 100% of EPA funding? Not to mention that even if this cut does come to pass, they'll still have to contend with state by state regulations like in California which can be notoriously strict and therefore would be better off making more efficient cars than just leaving money on the table or get fined.

Spoiler

I'm not US, so I'm probably not as well versed on this as I would like.

The budget that was passed recently was a temporary budget that runs until September of this year. The actual full-scale budget for the next few years have not been passed.

 

[Living the Dream]

Meanwhile we spend trillions on defense

 

[Nerdkiller]

The budget that was passed recently was a temporary budget that runs until September of this year. The actual full-scale budget for the next few years have not been passed.

Well then, what's the over/under that Trump will cave on trying to cut that too?

 

[Beartruck]

Pointless and petty. If these cars want to be sold outside the US they'll still need to meet other country's standards.

 

[Lord Frieza]

Well then, what's the over/under that Trump will cave on trying to cut that too?

No one is sure. The only thing we know that Trump seems dead-on not caving to is the wall. There was fear we would have a government shutdown because he's said he refuses to sign any budget without the wall. This temp budget was passed there, and it's basically status quo with a few bits here and there from the last/current budget. No one is sure where we go from here on the Budget