The Obama administration on Friday presented options for increasing fuel efficiency for cars and light trucks by 2025.
The Envrionmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) will consider increasing fuel efficiency requirements by 3% to 6% annually from 2017 to 2025.
That represents a range of 47 mpg to 62 mpg by 2025.
The agencies aim to propose actual standards within a year.
The announcement builds upon the agreement reached by the Obama administration and the auto industry in 2009, which covered model years 2012–2016.
According to the U.S. EPA, cars, SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks are responsible for 57% of U.S. transportation petroleum use and almost 60% of all transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions.
If adopted by the EPA and DOT, the most ambitious standard (6% increase leading to 62 mpg) could save up to 1.3 billion barrels of oil, according to EPA–that’s more than two times as much oil as the U.S. currently imports from Saudi Arabia each year. The standards could also save up to 590 million tons of carbon emissions, which is equivalent to the annual carbon emissions of 153 coal-fired power plants.
The agencies’ next steps include issuing a supplemental Notice of
Intent (NOI) that would include an updated analysis of possible future
standards by November 30, 2010.
The results of an interim technical assessment were presented Friday by EPA, DOT and the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
The assessment considers the costs and effectiveness of applicable technologies, compliance flexibilities available to manufacturers, potential impacts on auto industry jobs, and the infrastructure needed to support advanced technology vehicles.
"Today’s announcement is great news for America as we try to break our dangerous dependence on oil and transition to a prosperous and healthy clean energy future. The Obama administration’s commitment to saving Americans money at the gas pump and cutting global warming pollution is the right direction for our country and our economy," Earthjustice managing attorney Martin Wagner said in a release.
More information on the NOI, the technical assessment, and submitting comments is available at the link below.
Loading...