Can we double gas mileage requirements for all vehicles by 2025?
That’s really a silly question. Of course we can! Whether it will happen or not is the real issue. The United States has the resources to improve the fuel economy of all vehicles tremendously – and has for many years. So why is the current average for all vehicles 27.5 miles per gallon? Politics.
The E.P.A., Department of Transportation and U.S. automakers have agreed that starting in 2017 fuel economy must increase by 5 percent for cars annually. The requirement for trucks and S.U.V.’s is a bit less. The best news is that by 2025 all U.S.-produced cars, trucks and S.U.S.’s must average 54.5 miles per gallon. This will be good for both the environment and the economy. According to the E.P.A. and Department of Transportation by 2025 these fuel efficiency improvements will add approximately $2,000 to the cost of a new car, but lower gasoline costs for the life of each car by $6,000. For those of you who don’t like to do math, that’s a net gain of $4,000!
The Takeaway: It’s about darn time. We should have put these requirements into place twenty years ago. Better late than never…
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