AASHTO Journal, 31 August 2012
The Obama Administration completed its review of its proposed fuel economy standards for light-duty vehicles on Tuesday.
The final rule for the administration’s new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards finalizes plans to increase fuel economy to 54.5 mpg for cars and light-duty trucks by Model Year 2025 (see related story: bit.ly/CAFEdeadline). The administration estimates that this fuel efficiency will both save consumers more than $1.7 trillion at the gas pump, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce U.S. oil consumption by approximately 12 billion barrels.
“Simply put, this groundbreaking program will result in vehicles that use less gas, travel farther, and provide more efficiency for consumers than ever before—all while protecting the air we breathe and giving automakers the regulatory certainty to build the cars of the future here in America,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in a statement. “Today, automakers are seeing their more fuel-efficient vehicles climb in sales, while families already saving money under the Administration’s first fuel economy efforts will safe even more in the future, making this announcement a victory for everyone.”
The new standards were produced by the DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
A statement on the finalization from the White House is available at bit.ly/WHcafe. Additional information on the new fuel economy standards is available at bit.ly/NHTSAfuel.