Cleaner Cars Ahead

    President Obama announced a historic agreement with 13 major
    automakers to increase fuel economy to 54.5 miles per gallon (mpg) for
    cars and light-duty trucks by model year 2025. The President was joined by
    Ford, GM, Chrysler, BMW, Honda, Hyundai,  Jaguar/Land Rover, Kia,
    Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota and Volvo—which together account for
    over 90% of all vehicles sold in the U.S. “This agreement on fuel standards
    represents the single most important step we’ve ever taken as a nation to
    reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” said President Obama. “By 2025,
    the average fuel economy of their vehicles will nearly double to almost 55
    miles per gallon.”Cars and trucks on the road today average 27mpg and
    with gas spiking to record high prices this year, Americans are paying more
    at the pump than ever.


“American consumers are calling for cleaner cars that won’t pollute their air or break their budgets at the gas pump, and
our innovative American automakers are responding with plans for some of the most fuel efficient vehicles in our
history,” said U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson.
For American families, the president said the agreement will mean filling up the car every two weeks, instead of every
week. The White House estimates that a family purchasing a new vehicle in 2025 will save $8,200 in fuel costs when
compared with a similar vehicle in 2010. They also project that U.S. oil consumption from vehicles will be reduced by
40% and only half of the current amount of greenhouse gas pollution will come from exhausts in the future.

In April, The American Lung Association released their State of the Air report, which called on the EPA to “set new
pollution standards for cars, light trucks, SUVs and gasoline fuels to reduce nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and particle
pollution emissions”. They noted that “Science shows that people who live or work near highways or busy roads bear a
disproportion¬ate health burden from air pollution… Cleaner cars will help reduce this impact for all, but especially those
who live closest to the traffic.” Half of the vehicles that will comply with Obama’s new 2025 fuel standards will be gas-
electric hybrids, with electric vehicles making up about 10% of the fleet. Currently hybrid and electric vehicles combined
amount to less than 3% of U.S. vehicle sales.

“These standards will help spur economic growth, protect the environment, and strengthen our national security by
reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Working together, we
are setting the stage for a new generation of clean vehicles.”
The 2012 Toyota Prius V. Half the vehicles to meet
Obama's new fuel economy standards will be
gas-electric hybrids like the Prius.