New Vehicle Gas Mileage Standards Issued By The White House

On Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, the White House announced new vehicle gas mileage standards for all new vehicles manufactured in the United States.

The new standard requires that all American fleets have an EPA gas mileage rating average of 35.5 combined MPG by the year 2016.

Although prices will rise an average of $1,100 on new cars and trucks, the savings in gasoline will be around $3,000 for the entire life of the vehicle. In addition, the reduction in green house gases will be tremendous as auto emissions will decrease substantially.

This new fuel economy standard will also reduce our consumption of oil by 1.8 billion barrels!

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that they fully support this new standard, stating that it will "keep money in [consumers'] pockets, put less pollution in the air, and help reduce a dependence on imported oil..."

President Obama stated that the new standard gives clarity to auto manufacturers and allows them to now accurately prepare for the future. Previous uncertainties have caused a great deal of stress for automakers, as they have received "conflicting fuel economy standards". That is, until now.

What does the automotive industry think of all this? Surprisingly, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers agreed with the president stating that "rules are essential to providing [auto] manufacturers...time necessary to plan for the future..."

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