The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced new fuel economy standards for cars, minivans, SUVs and trucks, an April 1 news release said.
Under the new standards, new vehicles in 2026 will get 33 percent more miles per gallon as compared to 2021 vehicles, NHTSA said.
“Car manufacturers will be required to produce cars, minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks that get better mileage than ever before, and the benefits are going to be real for drivers across America,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, E&E News reported April 1.
“These improvements will also make our country less vulnerable to global shifts in the price of oil, and protect communities by reducing carbon emissions by 2.5 billion metric tons,” Buttigieg said in the NHTSA release.
According to E&E News, he added, "until we achieve a form of energy independence that is based on clean energy created here at home, American citizens will still be vulnerable to wild price hikes like we’re seeing right now during [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war.”
Dr. Steven Cliff, NHTSA’s deputy administrator, said the new standards will help provide cleaner air for the coming generations.
"We are proud to fulfill President Biden’s mission to move us to a more sustainable future, one that strengthens American energy independence and helps put more money in American families’ pockets,” Cliff said in the NHTSA release.
The new standards will save will lower U.S. fuel consumption by more than 200 billion gallons through 2050 compared to the old standards, NHTSA said.
