Consumers Union campaign "A Greener Future" is working for clean, renewable, affordable energy.
It’s official: 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 is the new fuel economy target for automakers. It’s an historic moment—consumers will save over $1.7 trillion in fuel costs, and more than a half-million auto-industry related jobs are expected to be created by 2030 when the standards are fully in place. Even after accounting for investment in more efficient technology, consumers will save thousands of dollars per vehicle.
Last year the Obama Administration, automakers, and other stakeholders worked together on an outline for the standards, and government agencies (NHTSA and the EPA) worked hard to develop and finalize the rule.
Consumers Union strongly backed these new standards, and more than 27,000 of you wrote to agencies urging them to move forward and finish the job.
The new mileage standards will build off improvements already slated for 2016, when mileage requirements will reach 35.5 mpg. Around then there will be a “mid-term review” to see how much progress has been made and recalculate targets if they are too weak (or too ambitious).
Already, we’re seeing vehicles for sale that would meet the standards, and vehicles in every category are offering significantly more fuel-efficient options. Given how much progress has already been made in anticipation of the 2012-2016 standards, it’s likely that the targets will at least be met or surpassed.
Consumers overwhelmingly support these standards, and automakers, small business groups, and environmental groups all agree that they are a step in the right direction towards a brighter energy future.
The standards also help jumpstart job creation in fuel efficient and alternative fuel technology vehicles, and redirect our buying power to more local products and services instead of wasting it on oil.
There may be speed bumps ahead, but this is a great victory for consumers concerned about the rising cost of gasoline and the environment.
If this regulation survives along with Obamacare to provide health care to more of our citizens, this will be two of the greatest achievements of the Obama administration despite great odds of the rich and many in corporate America. And everyone, even the rich will benefit.
My husband is 85 and I am 76 so am happy to say that we won’t be affected by this law. How long will it take to make up the thousands of dollars the new car will cost?
The 2012-2016 standards are already helping deliver more fuel efficient vehicles today. In 2025, the new vehicles are expected to average $1,800 more per vehicle, but the NET savings will still be $4,000 to $8,000 per vehicle. Car buyers will be spending more on technology, but much less on fuel. If you finance your vehicle with a loan, the extra car payment is less than the monthly fuel savings, so you’d save the first month of ownership. Plus, we hope and expect the technology cost will be even lower than expected, as competition tends to do.
So that will be sweet… I can see exactly how this is going to work out as I’ve watched Gas prices rocket up $0.30 per gallon in the past 4 days.. We’ll have these cars that get 55 mpg right? But they’ll still only go 300 miles on a tank because the auto makers will have reduced the tank size down to 6 gallons. To go hand in hand with that, the Petroleum companies to keep their profit line, will have jacked the cost of gas to nearly $7.00 per gallon. So what we have are Cars that get double the gas mileage, running the same distance on half the tank capacity but costing us the same or more to operate. What the “Historic” BS should be doing is funding fuel-cell cars or electric cars that will actually go 600+ miles on a charge. OR while mandating these standards for 13 years from now, mandating a Price per gallon cap on fuel.. There is NO reason why fuel is as expensive other then greedy oil companies and the politicians (Both Major Parties people.. yes the Dems are corrupt too) who’s pockets they line.
How much are these new cars going to cost us? The hybrid and electric cars are more expensive than the average car, so it is safe to say these will cost more as well. I agree with Norma,is the cost of the car going to overshadow the savings in gas?
Do you know that Ford already makes an engine ,that is used in a ford focus in Europe, that gets over 80 MPG.
It is a diesel engine, and with the mileage it gets should be able to pass environmental tests.
My question is, why isn’t this engine sold in cars here now?
I know if I had the chance to buy a car that got over 80 miles per gallon I would.
EPA and crash safety requirements are the chief block in our getting fuel efficient cars over here. Ford does sell EVs in the US though. I’m thinking of buying the all electric Ford Transit modified by Azure. That company has been in business for a while modifying F-150 pickup trucks for fleet vehicle companies, so Ford let them do the final manufacture for full EV mode. GreenCarCongress says it gets around 100 miles on a charge. Of course, you have to look at the extra cost of the home charging station for now; but public charging stations are popping up everywhere in high population communities.
Even though diesels are by and large cleaner for air standards, the EPA has a fit when it comes to anything marked “diesel”; it would seem to me that the pollution control standard equipment should be available for them, but the car companies may not want to add the expense.
Oh, I’m just loving this. We’ll all be driving Smart Cars. Maybe with a Smart Car, You’ll also get a cap to wear that has a little propeller on top. Don’t you just love it!!
Actually, the standards are “footprint-based” meaning that the fleet average is based on what kind of vehicles a manufacturer actually sells. Since there’s no incentive to “downsize,” we expect to see fuel economy improvements in every category. Already, we’re seeing significant improvements in SUV and light truck fuel economy. The EcoBoost V-6 Ford F-150 is a great example. It seems like every month, there’s a new “best fuel economy in class” coming out from automakers–the competition is really heating up and benefits consumers.
I live in the states and think this is great news. Why are (white souther-states) Americans so afraid of changes? Seriously. Contrary to what many of you believe consumers do have the upper hand when it comes to car manufacturing. Why do you see all the big 3 churning out better cars with even more features that were only available in their high-end models? And better quality, and fuel economy? Because the people were attracted to the foreign automakers’ fuel economy and quality. 5 years ago, you’d have to twist my arm to get me to buy an american car. Today I own a ford fusion hybrid and I absolutely love it. What I would like to see some day is a diesel-electric hybrid. Just imagine the fuel economy on that!
Obama rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
economies of scale will lower the cost of adding all this fuel efficient technology. The technology has been around for decades and was never incorporated because of the in action of the automotive industry and lobbying by the oil industry to milk all the profits they could. Another way how government fosters technology and improvement in the quality of life. Regardless about how much gasoline is refined in this country the price of gasoline will always rise.
I understand an excitement of non-engineering people, but there is the fact – you can’t get something out of nothing. You can’t mandate changing of the rules of nature. Everything coming with the cost attached. So,
There will be compromises on the structural integrity of the cars, or dynamic of the ride, or something else.
Sorry, I don’t believe in miracles.
I really will take going to a “smart grid” to make it all work. We use wind and solar power in the Midwest desert, and we make MORE power than we can use! If enough folks had EVs, they could store the extra energy in their batteries and sell it back to the utility company to help pay for the extra expense of owning batteries. The power companies will be happy, because they won’t have to increase costs on building more coal fired power plants – everyone wins!
We used power management system at Eaton that saved the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in greater power efficiencies. O’Bama could start building a US smart grid infrastructure using the new standards, and save the nation so much money, that the SAVINGS ALONE could pay for the upgrades! Cleveland, and even my home town are discovering this! It really is a no-brainer – no tax increase – boost to jobs and the economy, and end the greatest transfer of wealth in world history to the OPEC nations. Lets keep it at home and win! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! :O!!!!!
Just what america needs; more government regulation. I belive that we should drill more oil for OUR consumption and build more refineries. Electric cars are no better for the enviroment. The electricity comes from a power plant that burns fossil fuel. It cost more to recycle it and it’s hazardous components at the end of it’s service life. Could a twenty year old afford a car like that and make ends meet? Money and jobs just get farther out of reach every time the government regulates.
We drive a Lexus 600hL (hybrid) now which has just gotten 27 mpg for an 800 mile trip beating its EPA rating by a comfortable margin. We prefer our cars large, luxurious and road ripping powerful. I will never buy some tiny little econobox clown car just to get 50 MPG.
The first thing we’ve got to do is drill and refine 100% of our own oil, get the damn corn out of our fuel tanks and build cars out of composites and aluminum. If Ford can do it with their forthcoming F-150, everyone else can too.
CAFE standards will soon fall by the wayside because I believe that by 2025 so much new technology will have been developed that even 60 mpg, based on footprint will be relatively easy.
I hear you Bruce! We don’t need no stinking little roller skates! I have a GM Tahoe Hybrid, and although I only get 22 MPH on the highway, that rate of fuel usage has already paid for the extra expense of the hybrid system! Comparable sized SUVs get much worse fuel mileage. I was able to pay off the vehicle in less than three years; and now I’m enjoying an even greater savings with higher gas prices! When I drive under 30 mph in the city, I never see the fuel needle move! My over all gas mileage is boosted the more I drive in the city.
There is a conversion company now making fleet GM vehicles(SUVs) with electric transmissions that use V6 engines and three batteries that get 100 MPG, on average, because you can drive 40 miles on a charge, and most folks reach their destination by then. I live in a high utility cost area, and even at my cost per watt basis, I could save big money on fuel – enough to pay for the batteries in three to five years! These vehicles are vastly roomy and can tow over 6000lbs. They ain’t no roller skates. I’m already running around in an EV much like a metro car that saves me so much, I’ve barely noticed a blip in my electric bill!!
another obama trick, say it enough and morons will eventually believe it. If there was a car that could be sold in america that met all the regulative safety standards and got 80 milesper gallon, it would propel an automakers position in that market to number 1. So why arent they doing it? Because they cant yet. If they could, they would.
obama is simply pandering to his left wing ideological driven base. Dont be fooled stupids. capitalism drives innovations, not the government.
2025!!!!! That is not soon enough!!! We have had the technology for over a decade! All cars should already be 55 miles/gallon!!!
So what about large families? What about comfort? I laugh at the CR car reviews that mention how roomy cars are and when I check them out at the dealer they are sardine cans. Seat widths are getting smaller. My right foot rubs against the tunnels. Trunk space, forget about it. The engineering of cars gets better and better and American car quality has improved much over the years. However, I’m glad I experienced the days of roomy, comfortable American cars.
To “Diego”, your comment about ” Why are (white souther-states) Americans so afraid of changes?”, is bigoted, ignorant and I suspect reveals you are a bitter liberal?
Today’s diesels are extremely clean, especially when used with BioDiesel fuel. Both of which are far cleaner and safer than Ethanol is proving to be. There’s no reason for EPA or anyone else to have fits with diesels. Right now, they are the best interim solution for cleanliness and efficiency until the next step is found.
Certainly seems that common sense just isn’t so common these days.
I agree; I wish you’d tell EPA that! They won’t listed to me or the GreenCarCongress!! We could generate enough bio-diesel with improved processes using algae, that we could bury the oil companies in production. This process is way more efficient in synthetic manufacture using better lighting techniques and removing the dying algae from the production process quickly. This same technique is really similar to the way oil formed in the early earth periods. With huge algae blooms and the dead algae forming on the bottom of the oceans in low lying areas, forming oily sludge that was eventually covered by salt deposition, as the ocean tides and tectonic changes left the deposits under pressure of overlaying sediment and plate changes in the regolith.
BP and other oil companies brag that they are on this; but I think they are running scared, and just want to patent the processes to keep innovators from making them(OPEC) rapidly obsolete!! Mark my words it will happen!
Two years ago I bought a Prius. I average 54.7 mpg in all but the coldest winter months; 49 to 51 mpg then. I fill my 10 gal. tank about once a month to go over 500 miles. Three years ago I installed solar panels on my house, and generate from 2.6 Kwh to 3.2 Kwh most days. My next car will be a plug-in, so I can use my own power and go completely gas-free.