Chairman Rockefeller’s Statement Supporting New Vehicle Emission Standards (CAFE)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Obama today – for the first time in history – announced a new national policy aimed at both increasing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas pollution for all new cars and trucks sold in the United States. The new standards, covering model years 2012-2016, and ultimately requiring an average fuel economy standard of 35.5 mpg in 2016, are projected to save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the life of the program with a fuel economy gain averaging more than 5 percent per year and a reduction of approximately 900 million metric tons in greenhouse gas emissions. This would surpass the CAFE law passed by Congress in 2007 which required an average fuel economy of 35 mpg in 2020.
