Works Cited
"Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards." U.S. Department of Transportation, 11 Aug. 2024,
www.transportation.gov/mission/sustainability/corporate-average-fuel-economy-cafe-standards.
Accessed 28 May 2026.
Ryan's source.
This is from the US Department of Transportation.
It's a primary source but the source is slightly baised towards the regulations
because they control the regulations.
The information is still somewhat recent and very applicable to our thesis.
"Design Incentives to Increase Vehicle Size Created from the U.S. Footprint-based Fuel Economy
Standards." Elsevier, 31 Oct. 2011, meche.engineering.cmu.edu/_files/images/research-groups/
whitefoot-group/WS-FootprintFuelEconomy-EP.pdf. Accessed 29 May 2026.
Ryan's source.
This is from an assistant professeur at University of Michigan's Mechanical Engineeri
ng school.
This source is reliable because it is a direct study of the potential impacts of the
CAFE regulations but is slightly biased against the regulations.
While the source is quite old, it shows how well the government and the general
public knew about the potential impacts of their regulations before they were fully
implemented.
Djekic, Petar. "The Unchecked Rise of Trucks and SUVs in America." Cornell Law School, edited by The
Issue Spotter, Cornell Journal and Law and Public Policy, 25 Nov. 2024,
publications.lawschool.cornell.edu/jlpp/2024/11/25/
the-unchecked-rise-of-trucks-and-suvs-in-america/. Accessed 28 May 2026.
This source explains and talks about what a "light truck" is and how it bypasses restricti
ons and is the key contributor to the CAFE loophole. It also talks about history on tax
loopholes, fuel efficiency, etc. It also explains in detail about what the light truck/CAF
E loophole is, and how the loophole proves fatal to pedestrians.
Domonoske, Camila, host. "Fuel Economy Rollback." Business, 3 Dec. 2025. NPR, www.npr.org/2025/12/03/
nx-s1-5630389/trump-administration-rolls-back-fuel-economy-standards.
This NPR article explains the Trump administration's decision to roll back federal fuel
economy standards and reduce requirements for automakers to improve vehicle efficiency.
It is useful for understanding the ongoing debate between lowering consumer costs and
addressing environmental concerns. As a public news source, NPR presents perspectives
from government officials, automakers, and policy critics.
"Maps and Data." Alternative Fuels Data Center, Jan. 2024, afdc.energy.gov/data/10562. Accessed 29
May 2026.
Ryan's source.
This source contains multiple diagrams and graphs of the impacts of the CAFE
regulations.
It's from the US Department of Energy which makes it a primary source but slightly
biased towards the regulations.
It is also somewhat recent and most of the graphs are up to date through 2025.
McDonald, Kira. "Transportation: A Blindspot in US Climate Policy." Climate and Community Institute,
2 Nov. 2023, climateandcommunity.org/research/blog-transportation-blindspot/. Accessed 29 May
2026.
This article argues that transportation is the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas
emissions and that focusing only on electric vehicles is not enough to address climate
change. It emphasizes reducing car dependency through public transit and other transportat
ion alternatives to lower emissions and environmental impacts.
Mouravskiy, Alexandre. "What Is the SUV Loophole and Will It Close?" Capital One Auto Navigator, 29
Sept. 2023, www.capitalone.com/cars/learn/finding-the-right-car/
what-is-the-suv-loophole-and-will-it-close/2654. Accessed 29 May 2026.
This source explains that the SUV loophole allows many SUVs to operate under less strict
fuel-efficiency standards, which can increase fuel consumption and greenhouse gas
emissions. It is useful for understanding the environmental impact of the loophole and
why some policymakers support closing it.
National Safety Council. "Road to Zero Coalition Releases New Report on Safety Risks of Oversized
Passenger Vehicles." National Safety Council, edited by National Safety Council, 9 Oct. 2024,
www.nsc.org/newsroom/rtz-report-oversize-passenger-vehicle-safety-risks. Accessed 28 May 2026.
This source talks about how SUV's and "light trucks" pose threats to pedestrians, and
what causes them. Stats related to car crashes and the relation with SUV's/light trucks
and those said accidents. Useful for figuring out how the loophole causes more SUV's/light
trucks and how it affects safety on the roads.
NHTSA Media, Taiki. "Trump's Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Announces Key Step toward Making
Cars Affordable in America Again." NHTSA, edited by NHTSA Media, 5 June 2026, www.nhtsa.gov/
press-releases/cafe-interpretive-rule-affordable-cars. Accessed 28 May 2026.
This source talks about how Trump and U.S Transportation secretary Sean P. Duffy published
and put into place a rule that would essentially "reset the CAFE program" and the effects
that it would have on CAFE.
"NRDC Urges Congress to Close SUV Loophole." NRDC, 26 July 2001, www.nrdc.org/press-releases/
nrdc-urges-congress-close-suv-loophole. Accessed 29 May 2026.
This article argues that the SUV loophole allows larger vehicals to have weaker fuel
effciency standards, leading to higher fuel comsumption and pollution.
Overholser, Geneva. "Closing SUV Loophole Would Help Environment, Wallets." Herald Net, 8 Aug. 2001,
www.heraldnet.com/2001/08/08/closing-suv-loophole-would-help-environment-wallets/. Accessed 29
May 2026.
This article talks says that the SUV loophole allows larger vehicles to avoid stricter
fuel-efficiency standards, increasing fuel consumption and environmental damage. It
supports closing the loophole to reduce pollution and save consumers money on gasoline.
It is useful for understanding both the environmental and economic arguments for stricter
SUV regulations.
Raviv, Adam M. "Congress Eliminates Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Penalties for Passenger
Cars and Light Trucks." Sidley, 8 July 2025, environmentalhealthsafetybrief.sidley.com/2025/07/
08/
congress-eliminates-corporate-average-fuel-economy-cafe-penalties-for-passenger-cars-and-light-trucks
/. Accessed 29 May 2026.
This article explains how Congress eliminated civil penalties for automakers that fail to
meet CAFE fuel economy standards through legislation passed in 2025. It is useful for
understanding how Congress can directly change federal regulatory policy and influence
environmental and transportation laws. Because it was written by a law firm, the source
focuses on the legal and business impacts of the policy change.
Skerlos, Steve. "CAFE Standards Could Mean Bigger Cars, Not Smaller Ones." Mechanical Engineering |
University of Michigan, edited by U of Michigan, U of Michigan, 9 Dec. 2011, me.engin.umich.edu/
news-events/news/cafe-standards-could-mean-bigger-cars-not-smaller-ones/. Accessed 28 May 2026.
This source was published around the time when CAFE was first instated, and it talks
about both the potential positive and negative effects that it may have on the economy
and the car industry (automakers, consumers, pedestrians, etc.) It also goes into details
of everything talked about in the article, and the loophole that resulted from CAFE.
"Small Cars Are Getting Huge. Are Fuel Economy Regulations to Blame?" The Drive, 29 Apr. 2022,
www.thedrive.com/news/small-cars-are-getting-huge-are-fuel-economy-regulations-to-blame.
Accessed 29 May 2026.
Ryan's source.
This is from an automotive review website and written by a reputable staff writer
and car enthusiast.
It is slightly biased against the CAFE regulations and somewhat dated but still
relevant.
Tucker, Sean. "America Now Effectively Has No Fuel Economy Rules." Kelley Blue Book, 17 July 2025,
www.kbb.com/car-news/america-now-effectively-has-no-fuel-economy-rules/. Accessed 29 May 2026.
This article argues that recent actions by Congress and the federal government have
effectively removed meaningful fuel economy enforcement for automakers. It is useful for
understanding the political debate over environmental regulation and the role of governmen
t in setting industry standards. Because it is written for a consumer automotive audience,
the article focuses on how policy changes affect drivers and the auto industry.
Walz, Eric. "Trump Proposes 'reset' of CAFE Standards." WardsAuto, informatechtarget, 4 Dec. 2025,
www.wardsauto.com/news/trump-administration-rollback-reset-cafe-standards-mpg/807039/. Accessed
28 May 2026.
This article discusses the Trump administration's proposal to roll back Corporate Average
Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, arguing that the existing Biden-era standards are too
costly and difficult for automakers to meet. The source presents viewpoints from governmen
t officials, auto industry leaders, and environmental advocates, highlighting the debate
between economic concerns and environmental protection. This source is useful for
understanding how executive branch policies can shape environmental and economic regulatio
ns. Because it is published by an automotive industry news outlet, it may place greater
emphasis on the perspectives of automakers and industry stakeholders.