The Duck Curve#dot
NHTSA final CAFE rule sets standards without counting EV fuel economy
NHTSA's final SAFE Vehicles Rule III, published September 30, 2026 and effective November 30, 2026, sets CAFE standards for model years 2022 through 2031 that it says are based solely on gasoline- and diesel-powered light-duty vehicles, including non-plug-in hybrids, with EV fuel economy and PHEV electric operation not considered. NHTSA estimates the average of manufacturers' requirements at about 34.9 mpg by MY 2031 against about 49.3 mpg under the 2024 standards; inter-manufacturer credit trading ends beginning with credits earned in MY 2028; crossover reclassification starts in MY 2030.
Boston sues DOT over $20M RAISE grant withdrawn for EV charging stations
The City of Boston sued the US Department of Transportation, the Federal Transit Administration, Secretary Sean Duffy and FTA Acting Deputy Administrator Matthew Cahill in the District of Massachusetts on September 28, 2026 (case 1:26-cv-14419), asking the court to vacate DOT's September 9, 2025 withdrawal of a $20 million FY2022 RAISE award for three Roxbury street corridors. The complaint says DOT's letter gave the project's EV charging stations, less than 1% of the grant, as its single reason, and that Boston offered on October 8, 2025 to remove them.
