on Friday finalized new fuel economy standards for SUVs and trucks, easing off its initial proposals to better reflect the state of U.S. auto sales and the slower-than-expected pace of electric vehicle adoption.
Light-duty vehicles currently average around 39.1 miles per gallon, meaning the new requirements amount to an annual increase of roughly 2% per year. Instead, the vehicles must begin implementing a 2% annual reduction between 2029 and 2031, reaching an average of 45 mpg, compared to the earlier proposed 52 mpg fuel economy target.Biden officials said Friday that the pared-downwill give automakers more runway to build out electric vehicles and electric trucks without incurring the hefty compliance fees and penalties they would have been hit with under the draft rule.
“Not only will these new standards save Americans money at the pump every time they fill up, they will also decrease harmful pollution and make America less reliant on foreign oil,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Friday.