The Obama administration has finalised regulations that will force automakers to nearly double the average gas mileage of all new cars and trucks they sell in America by 2025.
The rules mean that all new vehicles would have to get an average of 23.17 kilometres per litre in 13 years, up from 12.16 kpl 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 on Tuesday, will change the cars and trucks sold in US 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 pick-up trucks. The standards can be lowered by the government if people suddenly 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 US 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 fuel standards “represent the single most important step” his administration has taken to reduce US dependence on foreign oil.
But Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has opposed the standards, and his campaign said any savings at the pump would be wiped out by the rising cost of cars and trucks.
Already, automakers have committed to an average of 15.09 kpl 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 23.17 kpl. The average vehicle will get closer to 17 kpl in real-world driving. Automakers will be able to sell pick-up trucks and less-efficient vehicles as long as that’s offset somewhat by smaller vehicles that already can get upward of 17 kpl.
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.
At showrooms, dealers are likely to offer more efficient gas-electric hybrids, natural gas vehicles and electric cars. There also will be smaller motors, lighter bodies and more devices to save fuel.
Automakers have already been adding technology to boost the efficiency of gasoline-powered engines, mainly because people want to spend less at the pump. Fuel economy is the top factor people consider when buying a car in the US.
Fuel efficiency has been rising for the past five years because government regulations and high gas prices have encouraged smaller vehicles and engines.
The administration estimates that the new rules, combined with those that began in 2011, will raise the cost of a new car about $2,800 by 2025. The estimates are based on 2010 dollars. But the government says the net savings from the requirements still will be $3,500 to $5,000 because people will spend less on gas.
The administration also predicts that the new regulations will cost the auto industry about $135 billion from 2017 to 2025.