A coalition of energy and fuel producers, energy marketers and retailers, and consumer groups, including NACS, filed a petition with the DC Circuit Court to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its regulation, finalized in March, that will effectively ban most new gas cars and trucks in less than eight years.

This petition is one of three filed challenging EPA’s light- and medium-duty vehicle emissions standards for model years 2027-2032. The other two petitions were filed by the American Petroleum Institute and a coalition of U.S. biofuel producers. In total, 36 petitioners are represented among the three filings.

“We need innovations to improve all vehicle technologies to fight climate change. EPA’s tailpipe rule would stop a great deal of internal combustion engine innovation in its tracks. The rule is bad policy and should be blocked by the court,” said Jeff Lenard, vice president, strategic industry initiatives at NACS.

Chet Thompson, president and CEO, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), said: “We are confident the Court will agree that Congress has not authorized EPA to effectively ban the sale of new gas and diesel cars and overhaul the U.S. economy in such a major way. EPA also overstepped in finalizing fleetwide average standards, rather than concrete standards that all cars and trucks must meet. Since no gas, diesel or traditional hybrid today can meet 85 grams/mile, EPA’s averaging scheme—which is already being contested for the 2023-2026 standards—is clearly meant to force EV adoption. And the choice to ignore all other vehicle lifecycle emissions, save those from the tailpipe, puts internal combustion engine vehicles at an arbitrary disadvantage.”

For more on the EPA standards the petitions are challenging, look for the summer issue of Fuels Market News, coming out in July.