If you want more affordable cars, lower emission requirements, allow them to be manufactured in Mexico and other LA states,

As the President of the UAW pointed out, during the strike a couple years ago, automakers charge the same for Mexican built cars as they do for US built, even though Mexican autoworkers are paid a tenth what USians are paid. The automakers go "woo hoo, more profit", and stuff the money into their pockets. I looked for the article last night, but seems it went down the memory hole: some years ago, a big three exec was asked about "affordability". He said people who can't afford the cars they are building now, should buy used. Ford and VW have openly boasted they are moving "upmarket" to charge more for their cars. Automakers boast about how much extra money they take off their customers with "subscription fees". Airlines too, like Delta, have been shifting to "luxury" pricing. Margin inflation is the business model now. If the government cancelled all the emissions regs, cars would cost the same, because the cost savings would go to GP escalation.

None of the safety regs would go away tho, because the insurance industry wants them. I have been waiting for someone to propose that "smaller than average" vehicles be outlawed, as "inherently unsafe", to force people to buy bigger, more expensive, vehicles, putting more loot in the big three's pockets.

Steve