Rhett Ricart, Regulatory Affairs Committee chairman for the National Automobile Dealers Association and president and CEO of Ricart Automotive Group in Groveport, Ohio, [said] that fuel-efficient cars may sit on U.S. showrooms if the stringent rules for gas mileage are left in place without any mid-course corrections, The Detroit News reported.

According to The Detroit News, environmentalists and consumer advocates pleaded Wednesday with officials from President Donald Trump’s administration to not roll back stringent fuel economy rules for cars enacted by former President Barack Obama. Automakers, meanwhile, pressed for relief from the standards that are estimated by some to add at least $2,000 to the sticker price of a vehicle.

Ricart added: “Government policies mandating vehicles that fail to meet the needs, desires, or financial constraints of customers will force them to opt for driving what they have or buying used. And if that happens, we all lose.”

Editor’s Note: Ricart’s testimony came during a hearing on whether the EPA should reopen its review of the MY 2022-2025 greenhouse gas rules that the agency adopted in 2012. He underscored that “the midterm evaluation must fully consider the realities of the showroom by recognizing the critical importance of customer acceptance, of enhancing – not retarding – fleet turnover, and of an industry that is critical to our economy.” If the midterm evaluation is reopened, a new final determination on the MY 2022-2025 standards will be made by April 1, 2018. NADA intends to file written comments by the Oct. 5, 2017 deadline on the reopening issue and on whether standards for MY 2021 light-duty vehicles need to be changed. Ricart also discussed the importance of having one national fuel economy program and of EPA coordinating closely with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Click here for NADA’s testimony.