Obama Administration Sets 5% Annual Efficiency Improvement Standards
By Chris Weiss
After setting the 35.5 mpg mark by 2016 for automakers back in May, the Obama administration has provided more details on the road to that deadline. The new plan requires a 5% mpg gain per year until 2016, which will put the federal plan in line with those of states like California. The first 5% increase will begin from a 27.3 mpg-average beginning in the 2011 model year. During the years between 2012 and 2016, efficiency will increase from around 33.6 to 38 mpg, while standards for light trucks will increase from 25 to 28.3 mpg, according to the proposal. Benefits of the proposal include a cited $3,000 fuel savings over the life of an average vehicle, cutting out 1.8 billion barrels of oil over 5 years and decreasing green house gas emissions by 900 million metric tons. [via AutoBlog] [Image]
