By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff
Six SEMA members, along with SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola,
testified before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in opposition to the agency's recently proposed new federal emissions standards. The standards--for motor vehicles model years '27 to '32--are intended to dramatically increase sales of electric vehicles (EVs).
SEMA thanks Kim Pendergast, CEO of Magnuson Superchargers; Rob Simons, principal with Automotive Consulting Services, Inc.; Billy Brooks, director of engineering for Cobb Tuning; Dan Millen, owner of Livernois Motorsports; Mike Copeland, CEO of Arrington Performance; and Laurel Moorhead, regulatory compliance engineer with Transfer Flow for speaking about their businesses, the importance of the EPA maintaining a technology-neutral approach to motor-vehicle technology, and the adverse impacts that a premature rush to making EVs the only option to reduce motor-vehicle emissions. You can watch the videos of the testimonies at the bottom of this webpage.
The EPA must hear from industry members as it reviews public comments on its proposal that impacts the future of the automotive industry. Click here to sign a letter opposing the EPA's proposal, which provides an opportunity to personalize the letter and explain how the agency's push to an all-electric future will impact your business.
The EPA maintains that its draft rulemaking would lead to EVs making up two-thirds of new passenger vehicles sold in the United States by 2032. SEMA opposes rulemaking, as consumers and the marketplace should be able to choose the vehicle technology that works best for them. There are many options on the road to zero emissions, and government policy must remain technology neutral. The specialty automotive aftermarket business has been built around the internal combustion engine (ICE), although the industry is leading the way in fuel innovations and conversions of old vehicles into new and cleaner technologies. Hydrogen and other renewable fuels, including synthetic eFuels, will allow legacy vehicles to operate carbon-neutrally and should have an equal seat at the table. Ultimately, consumers, not the government, should be allowed to choose the type of vehicle technology that best serves their families, as the market should drive fuel innovations.
Click here to sign a letter opposing the EPA's multipollutant standards. For more information, visit sema.org/EPA-Proposed-Greenhouse-Gas-Rules or contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.