New Average Fuel Economy Standards for USA finalized

The new Fuel Economy Standards will affect Passenger Cars and Light Trucks of the Model Years 2024-2026 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has finalized its revisions of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards for Model Years 2024-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks and published a final rule regarding the subject. 

The new standards improve the average fuel economy for passenger cars and light trucks at a rate of 8 percent per year for model years 2024 and 2025 and at a rate of 10 percent for mode year 2026 vehicles. The NHTSA has predicted that the revised standards would require an industry wide average of about 49 miles per gallon (4,8l/100km) for the model year 2026. For consumers the increased fuel economy could amount to hundreds of dollars in net savings over the lifetime of affected vehicles. 

The final rule aims to improve fleet-wide fuel efficiency and to help reduce the amount of petroleum consumed in the United States. A reason for this effort is the NHTSA’s statutory mandate to improve energy conservation and reduce the USA’s energy dependency on foreign sources. The rule also fulfills NHTSA’s obligation to revisit the standards set forth in „The Safer Affordable Fuel Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks,” as directed by President Biden’s 20 January 2021, Executive order “Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis.” 

Public comments to the notice of proposed rulemaking have also been addressed and certain minor changes to fuel economy reporting requirements have been made.  

The rule has been published on the 2nd of May 2022 and will enter into force on the 1st of July 2022 according to the current schedule.