The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today issued new vehicle fuel economy standards that it projects will save Americans more than $23 billion in fuel costs while reducing pollution. The agency also projects the standards will prevent more than 710 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, reduce air pollution, and reduce the country’s dependence on oil. It does ease light truck standards to the same as cars with 2% per year increase but only in the 2029-31 model years, in effect giving American heavy duty pickup truck makers a slight break in the rate of increase in a segment they dominate.*
“Not only will these new standards save Americans money at the pump every time they fill up, they will also decrease harmful pollution and make America less reliant on foreign oil,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “These standards will save car owners more than $600 in gasoline costs over the lifetime of their vehicle.”
“This rule is in accordance with continuous energy security efforts that date back to the 1970s, when the average vehicle got about 13 miles to the gallon,” NHTSA said.
NHTSA said that the last regulatory revisions came after reviewing the tens of thousands of public comments submitted on NHTSA’s August 2023 proposal for MYs 2027-2031 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards and MYs 2030-2035 Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks and Vans (HDPUV) Fuel Efficiency Standards and the accompanying Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
The final rule establishes standards that would require an industry-wide fleet average of ~50.4 miles per gallon (mpg) in MY 2031 for passenger cars and light trucks, and an industry fleet-wide average for HDPUVs of roughly 2.851 gallons per 100 miles in MY 2035 (35 mpg – AutoCrat).
The final CAFE standards increase at a rate of 2% per year for passenger cars in MYs 2027-31 and 2% per year for light trucks in model years 2029-31. The final HDPUV fuel efficiency standards increase at a rate of 10% per year in MYs 2030-2032 and 8% per year in MYs 2033-2035.
“The final standards provide critical savings at the gas pump for American consumers and set goals that are consistent with Congress’ direction to conserve energy and provide flexibility to industry on how best to meet those goals from proven, available fuel-saving technologies,” NHTSA said.
*AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
NHTSA Eases CAFE Regs For 2027-2031 Model Years
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today issued new vehicle fuel economy standards that it projects will save Americans more than $23 billion in fuel costs while reducing pollution. The agency also projects the standards will prevent more than 710 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, reduce air pollution, and reduce the country’s dependence on oil. It does ease light truck standards to the same as cars with 2% per year increase but only in the 2029-31 model years, in effect giving American heavy duty pickup truck makers a slight break in the rate of increase in a segment they dominate.*
“Not only will these new standards save Americans money at the pump every time they fill up, they will also decrease harmful pollution and make America less reliant on foreign oil,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “These standards will save car owners more than $600 in gasoline costs over the lifetime of their vehicle.”
“This rule is in accordance with continuous energy security efforts that date back to the 1970s, when the average vehicle got about 13 miles to the gallon,” NHTSA said.
NHTSA said that the last regulatory revisions came after reviewing the tens of thousands of public comments submitted on NHTSA’s August 2023 proposal for MYs 2027-2031 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards and MYs 2030-2035 Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks and Vans (HDPUV) Fuel Efficiency Standards and the accompanying Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
The final rule establishes standards that would require an industry-wide fleet average of ~50.4 miles per gallon (mpg) in MY 2031 for passenger cars and light trucks, and an industry fleet-wide average for HDPUVs of roughly 2.851 gallons per 100 miles in MY 2035 (35 mpg – AutoCrat).
The final CAFE standards increase at a rate of 2% per year for passenger cars in MYs 2027-31 and 2% per year for light trucks in model years 2029-31. The final HDPUV fuel efficiency standards increase at a rate of 10% per year in MYs 2030-2032 and 8% per year in MYs 2033-2035.
“The final standards provide critical savings at the gas pump for American consumers and set goals that are consistent with Congress’ direction to conserve energy and provide flexibility to industry on how best to meet those goals from proven, available fuel-saving technologies,” NHTSA said.
*AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.