NHTSA outlined the improvements in fuel economy across several categories. Passenger cars will see a 2% increase per year from 2027 to 2031. Light trucks will follow with the same annual increase from 2029 to 2031. Heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans have a steeper curve, improving by 10% annually from 2030 to 2032 and then by 8% annually from 2033 to 2035.
Sophie Shulman, NHTSA Deputy Administrator, highlighted the substantial progress since the establishment of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy program in the 1970s. "When Congress established the Corporate Average Fuel Economy program in the 1970s, the average vehicle got about 13 miles to the gallon," Shulman stated. She added, "Under these new standards, the average light-duty vehicle will achieve nearly four times that at 50 miles per gallon."
These regulations are not just about improving fuel efficiency but also cutting costs and reducing environmental impact. For light-duty vehicles, owners can expect savings over $600 over their vehicle's lifetime; heavy-duty vehicle savings will top $700. Additionally, by 2050 these changes are projected to save nearly 70 billion gallons of gasoline and prevent more than 710 million metric tons of CO2 emissions.
Despite significant advancements detailed in a lengthy rule book spanning over a thousand pages, these new measures avoid addressing electric and alternative fuels directly but allow manufacturers flexibility through technologies like hybrid systems and advanced engines.
Source: NHTSA
