New rules issued by Washington want the average fuel consumption of vehicles in the USA to almost double to 54.5mpg (65.4mpg Imperial) by 2025.
Current CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) rules require an average of 29mpg (34.8mpg imperial) with gradual increases to 35.5mpg by 2016.
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) predict the meeting the new standards will increase new vehicle prices by an average of USD1,800 but owners will save up to USD7,400 in fuel costs over the typical life of a vehicle.
“You put better technology in the car and the price is going to go up,” transportation secretary Ray LaHood told reporters.
“But it goes up a fraction of what you save on gas.”
The White House said the new rules would reduce oil consumption by 12bn barrels over the eight years of the programme from 2017 and cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2025.
The new standards have already been endorsed by most major carmakers including Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, during negotiations last year.
