by jbs040910 d3 — April 12, 2010—The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jointly established new federal rules on April 1, 2010 that set the first-ever national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the United States. The collaboration allows for clearer rules for automakers, instead of following three standards (DOT, EPA, and a state standard).
Overall, the measures are expected to conserve about 1.8 billion barrels of oil, and reduce nearly a billion tons of GHG emissions over the lives of the vehicles covered, say the agencies.
The final rules, issued by DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and EPA, establish increasingly stringent fuel economy standards under NHTSA’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy program and GHG emission standards under the Clean Air Act for vehicles produced in model years 2012 through 2016.
The new rules require automakers to improve fleet-wide fuel economy and reduce fleet-wide GHG emissions by approximately five percent every year, expected to result from more widespread adoption of conventional efficiency technologies already in commercial use, such as improved aerodynamics, lighter materials, and more efficient engines.
The agencies also expect some manufacturers will pursue more advanced fuel-saving technologies such as clean diesel engines, hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and electric vehicles.
