The EPA wants to limit greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. Photo from ODOT.
The Obama Administration is taking the federal government’s first steps to reduce greenhouse gases – and it’s starting with cars and trucks.
It’s doing this by requiring new passenger vehicles to get better gas mileage. Cars that burn less fuel also produce less pollution, including greenhouse gases.
The new rules kick in for the 2012 model year and get increasingly tough over a four year period.
Here’s where were headed.
By 2016 new cars and trucks sold in the United States must, on average, emit no more than 250 grams of carbon dioxide per mile. That’s roughly the same as getting 35.5 miles per gallon of fuel. There is some wiggle room in the regulations, and the actual average fuel efficiency might actually be closer to 34 mpg.
The announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation says…
- The vehicles covered by the new rules will produce nearly a billion fewer tons of greenhouse gases.
- They’ll also consume about 1.8 billion fewer barrels of oil.
- The rules will add, on average, $950 to the cost of a new car or truck in 2016. Those costs will be offset by better fuel efficiency. The feds predict the average new car buyer will actually save about $3,000 over the life of the vehicle.
While the new rules are clearly designed to encourage automakers to produce more electric vehicles and hybrids, the feds say these tougher regulations can also be met with existing technology applied to cars and trucks running on gasoline.
At a press conference, administration officials stressed that all types of passenger cars and trucks can get better gas mileage. They say there’s no reason why consumers will be limited in their choice of vehicle, including pick-up trucks and SUVs.
The EPA came under criticism earlier this week when it said it would give stationary sources of greenhouse gases at least another year before requiring them to get Clean Air permits. Administrator Lisa Jackson says that was done in anticipation of today’s announcement. She says the agency is moving deliberately to phase in greenhouse gas controls so that people, industry and Congress have time to adjust.
Jackson says she hopes Congress will soon pass greenhouse gas legislation. But until then she says, “This shows it can be done in a thoughtful way that doesn’t hurt the economy, and doesn’t cause the sky to fall.”
