CAFE

May 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – President Obama today – for the first time in history – set in motion 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 required an average fuel economy of 35 mpg in 2020.    » read more »

WASHINGTON (May 19, 2009) – President Barack Obama announced today new national fuel economy standards for cars and trucks. Frances Beinecke, President of the Natural Resources Defense Council, attended the announcement at the White House, and following are her reflections on it:

“This was a day to remember. President Obama has forged a spirit of collaboration that will put Americans behind the wheel of much cleaner, higher mileage vehicles.

"It was amazing to see the president together with heads of 10 auto makers, the President of the United Auto Workers, the Speaker of the House, and the governors of California, Michigan and Massachusetts.    » read more »

New Standards Take Landmark California Standards Nationwide

Washington, D.C. (May 18, 2009) - President Barack Obama will announce plans tomorrow to issue new national greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards for cars and trucks. These standards will deliver the benefits of California's landmark standards nationwide. Additionally California expects to receive its long awaited waiver from EPA early this summer.    » read more »

Plan Mirrors Landmark California Effort to Slash Oil Dependence, Emissions

May 18, 2009 -- Washington, D.C.--President Obama will tomorrow announce a comprehensive national standard addressing fuel economy and global warming emissions from our cars, trucks, and SUVs. Media reports indicate that the new national standard roughly mirrors the proposed California clean car standards—cutting global warming emissions approximately 30 percent by 2016 and significantly increasing fuel economy.

This is the first national tailpipe standard for global warming emissions. The administration will also reportedly grant California the Clean Air Act waiver for its clean cars program that it has long been seeking and was unlawfully denied by the Bush administration.    » read more »

Washington, DC - 05/19/2009 - Today, Phyllis Cuttino, Director of the Pew Environment Group’s U.S. Global Warming Campaign, released the following statement on President Obama’s national plan cutting global warming pollution from new cars and light trucks.

“The Obama Administration’s plan for the first national standard for tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions is a significant step forward in American energy and global warming policy, to the benefit of us all. This will ensure that automakers produce the fuel-efficient cars Americans demand, saving consumers’ money at the pump, reducing our dependence on oil and cutting the pollution that threatens the public’s health and our environment.    » read more »

May 19, 2009 -- "Today’s agreement on nationwide fuel economy standards is a major step forward and a victory for America’s workers, consumers and the environment. The agreement lays the groundwork for building a new generation of cleaner and more fuel efficient vehicles that will be manufactured here in the United States.

President Obama showed tremendous leadership by bringing together workers, the automakers, environmental groups, the federal government and the state of California. The plan shows that protecting our environment and creating good paying jobs can go hand in hand and America’s workers are proud to do their part towards achieving this deal.    » read more »

Statement of Lena Pons, Policy Analyst, Public Citizen

May 19, 2009 -- "With its announcement today that it will create the first ever federal standard for vehicle emissions, the Obama administration is keeping its promise to cut greenhouse gases and ease the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels. Requiring cars and light trucks produced in 2016 to reach an average of 35.5 miles per gallon is great news for consumers and the environment.

We applaud the Obama administration for rightfully recognizing the authority of California and other states to set their own greenhouse gas emissions standards. The states have clearly led the way on this important environmental issue, and it’s a welcome change to see they now have the support of the White House.    » read more »

Stricter fuel economy standards protect consumers, the environment and will help keep domestic car companies competitive

May 19, 2009 -- Washington, DC – CFA applauds President Obama’s decision to implement a substantial increase in fuel economy standards which the Bush Administration failed to complete. “At an estimated $3 per gallon for gasoline in 2016, the average new car buyer will save nearly $500 per year in gas costs by increasing the standard from the current 27.5 mpg to 39 mpg. If gas goes up to $4.00 per gallon, those savings will increase to nearly $650 per year,”1 said Jack Gillis, CFA’s Director of Public Affairs and author of The Car Book.    » read more »

May 19, 2009 -- Washington, D.C.—The Obama Administration today announced automobile fuel economy and emissions standards that represent a critical step toward reduced oil dependence and greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

The new standards will require that cars and light trucks achieve an average of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, up from about 26 miles per gallon today. This accelerates the schedule of fuel economy improvement set in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and will bring greenhouse gas emissions for vehicles down to the levels required by California’s landmark emissions standards.    » read more »

WASHINGTON (May 19, 2009) — The White House today released details of a plan to develop groundbreaking regulations that would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) to work together to dramatically reduce heat-trapping emissions from the nation's cars and trucks.

Analysis from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) indicates that, compared to staying at today's fuel economy and heat-trapping emissions levels, implementing the standard outlined in the plan would:

* curb U.S. oil dependence by about 1.4 million barrels of oil per day by 2020, nearly as much as we currently import from Saudi Arabia.    » read more »

May 19, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today praised President Obama's announcement of a new uniform federal standard to regulate fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks.

"This is an enormous step forward: a national standard that makes cars both cleaner and more efficient, saving consumers money and protecting our environment," Whitehouse said.    » read more »

Set Vehicular Emissions Standards

May 19, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today applauded the announcement by the Obama Administration that it intends to issue a proposed rule-making to increase fleetwide fuel economy standards for automobiles and light trucks to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016.

The deal will align, or ensure functional equivalence between, the vehicular emission standards and fuel economy standards issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA), respectively.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, May 18, 2009 – Senator Bernie Sanders today welcomed reports that President Barack Obama will make all cars and small trucks sold in America meet strong anti-pollution rules first adopted by Vermont, California and other states.

The states had been blocked by the Environmental Protection Agency during the administration of President George W. Bush from enforcing laws that were tougher than national standards.    » read more »

May 19, 2009 -- U.S. Senator Dick Lugar said today that our dependence on foreign oil is draining our economy, threatening our national security and harming the environment. He supports the agreement to increase vehicle fuel efficiency and calls for a flexible fuel vehicle requirement.

President Obama’s fuel efficiency announcement mirrors legislation he co-sponsored with Lugar when he was in the Senate (see summary below).    » read more »

May 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, today praised the Obama administration for its plan to establish the first ever nationwide regulation for greenhouse gases. Obama also called for increasing fuel economy standards for new cars and light trucks and pushing up the timeline for implementing those standards.    » read more »