Climate Power Calls On Big Oil To Stop Trying to Recycle Their Debunked, Garbage Ads

May 14, 2024

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The new ads from the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers are fossil fuel interests’ latest attempt to reuse the same disinformation to mislead Americans about the Biden administration’s actions to protect air and water despite repeated fact-checks proving their claims false.

Washington, D.C. – This morning brought us yet another round of ads paid for by the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers that lie about the Biden administration, make payments towards Donald Trump’s $1 billion request for help, and deliberately attempt to scare and mislead viewers, reusing the exact same false claims that they tried to mislead the American public with just last month.

The new, seven-figure ad buy is expected to run in nine states, with the ads saying that “President Biden took a wrong turn enacting regulations that will ban most new gas cars.” A ban, which to be clear, does not exist, which they already know, and which comes suspiciously soon after news that Donald Trump asked Big Oil for $1 billion in exchange for their day 1 agenda.

Climate Power senior advisor for oil and gas Alex Witt released the following statement: “The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers are trying to scare and mislead the American people because they want to make sure Americans keep paying more at the pump while they rake in massive profits. If Big Oil is going to keep trying to recycle demonstrably false information, the least they could do is admit it’s just some garbage they’re refusing to throw away because it would help Donald Trump.”

Fact Check: American Fuel And Petrochemical Manufacturers – “U-Turn”

Claim	Fact Check
V/O: President Biden took a wrong turn enacting regulations that will ban most new gas cars. TEXT: “Biden Administration Issues Rules Aimed At Phasing Out Gas Cars” The New York Times Climate Forward 3.20.24	AFPM’s Claim About The Biden Administration Banning Gas Cars Has Been Rated False By Fact-Checkers Politifact Gave A “False” Rating To AFPM’s Claim That The EPA’s Tailpipe Emissions Rule “Banned Most New Gas-Powered Cars.” According to Politifact, “A fuel manufacturers trade group is airing television ads in multiple states claiming the Environmental Protection Agency has banned new gasoline-powered vehicles. The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers spent $7 million to air a package of ads in key battleground states, including Wisconsin, that claim “EPA regulators just banned most new gas-powered cars.” The 30-second ad refers to 2023 proposed federal vehicle emissions standards from the EPA that would set stricter tailpipe emissions for vehicles made from 2027 to 2032. If implemented, the new standards would reduce the number of gasoline-emission vehicles, but it would not ban them as the group claims. […] Although the regulation would likely greatly diminish the production of new gasoline-powered vehicles starting in 2027, it is not a ban on gasoline-powered cars. We rate the claim False.” [Politifact, 5/1/2024] FactCheck.org: AFPM’s Ads Falsely Claimed That Pending Biden Administration Regulations Would “Ban” The Sale Of New Gasoline-Powered Vehicles. According to FactCheck.org, “Pending regulations under review by the Biden administration could greatly increase the number of electric vehicles sold in the U.S. But if implemented, the proposals to reduce tailpipe emissions and raise the fuel efficiency standards of cars and trucks would not “ban” the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles, as a trade group for fuel makers falsely suggests in an ad campaign. Policy experts told FactCheck.org that carmakers – particularly under the suggested federal regulations – would have flexibility in how they meet the proposed requirements, including by making vehicles with internal combustion engines more efficient.” [FactCheck.org, 2/20/2024] AFPM Cited A New York Times Story That Explicitly States The Tailpipe Rule “Is Not A Ban” And “Does Not Mandate The Sales Of Electric Vehicles” New York Times: “The E.P.A. Regulation Is Not A Ban. It Does Not Mandate The Sales Of Electric Vehicles, And Gas-Powered Cars And Trucks Could Still Be Sold.” According to the New York Times, “The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, a lobbying organization, has started what it says is a ‘seven figure’ campaign of advertising, phone calls and text messages against what it falsely calls “Biden’s E.P.A. car ban” in the swing states Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona, as well as in Ohio, Montana and the Washington, D.C., market. The E.P.A. regulation is not a ban. It does not mandate the sales of electric vehicles, and gas-powered cars and trucks could still be sold. Rather, it requires carmakers to meet tough new average emissions limits across their entire product line. It’s up to the manufacturers to decide how to comply.” [New York Times, 3/20/2024]
V/O: Forcing us down a bad road of limited choices and less freedom. TEXT: Limited Choices Less Freedom	Consumers Would Still Have The Freedom To Choose Gas Cars As Automakers Comply Either Through Electrification Or Improved Internal Combustion Engines Politifact: The EPA’s Tailpipe Rule Would Allow “For The Continued Production Of Gasoline-Powered Cars.” According to Politifact, “A fuel trade group is running ads in battleground election states that claim, “EPA regulators just banned most new gas-powered cars.” But the EPA proposed regulation from last year would reduce only fleetwide emissions for cars and trucks, allowing for the continued production of gasoline-powered cars. Although the regulation would likely greatly diminish the production of new gasoline-powered vehicles starting in 2027, it is not a ban on gasoline-powered cars. We rate the claim False.” [Politifact, 5/1/2024] New York Times: “The E.P.A. Regulation Is Not A Ban. It Does Not Mandate The Sales Of Electric Vehicles, And Gas-Powered Cars And Trucks Could Still Be Sold.” According to the New York Times, “The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, a lobbying organization, has started what it says is a ‘seven figure’ campaign of advertising, phone calls and text messages against what it falsely calls “Biden’s E.P.A. car ban” in the swing states Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona, as well as in Ohio, Montana and the Washington, D.C., market. The E.P.A. regulation is not a ban. It does not mandate the sales of electric vehicles, and gas-powered cars and trucks could still be sold. Rather, it requires carmakers to meet tough new average emissions limits across their entire product line. It’s up to the manufacturers to decide how to comply.” [New York Times, 3/20/2024] The EPA Projected That Automakers Would Comply With The New Rule Through Electrification And Improvements To Internal Combustion Engine Performance. EPA emphasizes that its standards are performance-based, and manufacturers are not required to use particular technologies to meet the standards. There are many potential pathways to compliance with the final standards manufacturers may choose that involve different mixtures of vehicle technologies. The technology pathway in our central case151 supporting the feasibility of the final rule standards includes a projected mix of improvements to internal combustion engine performance, as well as increases in use of powertrain electrification technologies (across the range from mild hybrid to BEV). [US Environmental Protection Agency, accessed 4/18/2024]
V/O: But the good news is there’s still timeto make a U-turn. Call the White House. Tell President Biden to stop his car ban before it’s too late to turn around. Paid for by American Fuel and PetrochemicalManufacturers. TEXT: Call President Biden (202) 456-1111 Stop the Car Ban DontBanOurCars.com Paid for by American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers	The New York Times, Politifact, and NPR: The Tailpipe Rule Is Not A Ban Politifact: The EPA’s Tailpipe Rule “Is Not A Ban On Gasoline-Powered Cars. According to Politifact, “A fuel trade group is running ads in battleground election states that claim, ‘EPA regulators just banned most new gas-powered cars.’ But the EPA proposed regulation from last year would reduce only fleetwide emissions for cars and trucks, allowing for the continued production of gasoline-powered cars. Although the regulation would likely greatly diminish the production of new gasoline-powered vehicles starting in 2027, it is not a ban on gasoline-powered cars. We rate the claim False.” [Politifact, 5/1/2024] New York Times, March 2024: American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers “Falsely Calls” New Emissions Standrds “Biden’s E.P.A. Car Ban.” According to the New York Times, “The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, a lobbying organization, has started what it says is a ‘seven figure’ campaign of advertising, phone calls and text messages against what it falsely calls “Biden’s E.P.A. car ban” in the swing states Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona, as well as in Ohio, Montana and the Washington, D.C., market.” [New York Times, 3/20/2024] “The E.P.A. Regulation Is Not A Ban. It Does Not Mandate The Sales Of Electric Vehicles, And Gas-Powered Cars And Trucks Could Still Be Sold.” According to the New York Times, “The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, a lobbying organization, has started what it says is a ‘seven figure’ campaign of advertising, phone calls and text messages against what it falsely calls “Biden’s E.P.A. car ban” in the swing states Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona, as well as in Ohio, Montana and the Washington, D.C., market. The E.P.A. regulation is not a ban. It does not mandate the sales of electric vehicles, and gas-powered cars and trucks could still be sold. Rather, it requires carmakers to meet tough new average emissions limits across their entire product line. It’s up to the manufacturers to decide how to comply.” [New York Times, 3/20/2024] NPR: “The EPA Rules Are Not Written As An EV Mandate Or A Ban On The Sale Of Gas Cars, Like Some States And Other Countries Have Adopted.” According to NPR, “The EPA rules are not written as an EV mandate or a ban on the sale of gas cars, like some states and other countries have adopted. Instead, the EPA sets standards that apply across an entire fleet — meaning an automaker still can make vehicles with higher emissions, as long as they also make enough very low or zero-emission vehicles that it averages out.” [NPR, 3/20/2024]