New Rules Proposed on CO2 Emissions and Fuel Efficiency

Yesterday the EPA and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed regulations that would provide a national threshold for carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles and would require an increase in fuel efficiency for passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles sold in the United States by almost 40%.

These rules are for the program President Obama announced in May of this year, after California and other states pushed to implement stricter emission and mileage standards than those that had been set by previous administratons. This would be the first national standard of its kind; currently automakers have three sets of standards, from the EPA, the Department of Transportation, and from states, that they must meet in order to be allowed to sell their vehicles.

According to an article in the New York Times:

The government projects that the vehicle regulations will raise new car and truck prices by an average of $1,100, but that drivers will save $3,000 over the life of a vehicle in fuel bills. Officials also said the new program, which is to take effect in 2012, would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly a billion tons and cut oil consumption by 1.8 billion barrels from 2012 to 2016.

The proposed regulations now enter a 60-day public comment period. If you would like to learn more or submit a comment, visit the EPA or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to do so.

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