New proposed mileage standards for cars would double fuel efficiency
BY TOM KRISHER & MATTHEW DALY Associated Press
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
8/29/12 at 3:24 AM
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration has finalized regulations that will force automakers to nearly double the average gas mileage of all new cars and trucks they sell by 2025.
The rules mean that all new vehicles would have to get an average of 54.5 miles per gallon in 13 years, up from 28.6 mpg at the end of last year. The requirements will be phased in gradually between now and then, and automakers could be fined if they don't comply.
The regulations, announced Tuesday, will change the cars and trucks sold in U.S. showrooms, with the goal of slashing greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption. Automakers will need to improve gasoline-powered engines, and sell more alternative fuel vehicles. Critics say the rules will make cars unaffordable by adding thousands of dollars to the sticker price.
The "Corporate Average Fuel Economy," or CAFE standards, will vary by automaker depending on the mix of models they sell. The requirements will be lower for companies such as General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, which offer more pickups. The standards can be lowered by the government if people start buying less-efficient vehicles in the future, although few expect that to happen.
The administration says the latest changes will save families up to $7,400 on fuel over the life of a vehicle. The standards also are the biggest step the U.S. government has ever taken toward cutting greenhouse gas emissions, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said. Tailpipe emissions from cars and light trucks will be halved by 2025.
President Barack Obama said the new standards "represent the single most important step" his administration has taken to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
But Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has opposed the standards, and his campaign on Tuesday said any savings at the pump would be wiped out by the rising cost of vehicles.
Already, automakers have committed to an average of 35.5 mpg by model year 2016 under a deal reached with the Obama administration three years ago.
In the arcane world of government regulations, the rules don't mean that each new car or truck will get 54.5 mpg. The average vehicle will get closer to 40 mpg in real-world driving. Automakers will be able to sell pickup trucks and less-efficient vehicles as long as that's offset somewhat by smaller vehicles that already can get upward of 40 mpg.
Automakers can reduce the mileage they're required to get with credits for selling natural gas and electric vehicles, changing air conditioning fluid to one that pollutes less, and adding stop-start circuits that temporarily shut off the engine at stop lights.
Original Print Headline: New standards to require nearly double the mileage
Associated Images:
The Obama administration says the latest changes to gas mileage standards will save families up to $7,400 on fuel over the life of a vehicle. Associated Press file photo
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