What We Didn't Notice While Elon and Trump Were Fighting

About this Video

• Video Title: What We Didn't Notice While Elon and Trump Were Fighting
• Channel: hankschannel
• Speakers: Hank Green
• Duration: 00:10:42

Introduction

This video discusses how a significant change in the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards was largely unnoticed due to the public's focus on the drama between Elon Musk and Donald Trump. The core purpose is to explain this change—a reduction of the multiplier used to calculate fines for missing CAFE targets, effectively reducing the fines to zero—and its implications.

Key Takeaways

• The "big beautiful bill," a budget reconciliation bill, allowed for changes to CAFE standards without needing a supermajority.
• The CAFE standards set fuel economy targets for vehicles, with fines for non-compliance.
• These fines are paid to the US Treasury and are used as a lever for policy, not primarily for revenue generation.
• The budget reconciliation bill reduced the multiplier for CAFE fines to zero, essentially eliminating the fines. This happened while public attention was focused on the conflict between Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
• The video concludes with a plug for the speaker's newsletter.