US Government introduces tougher than expected car fuel economy rules
Thu 24 April 2008
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The US Government has issued new rules which mean that US car makers must raise average fuel efficiency of their cars and trucks to 31.6 miles per gallon, from today's 25, by 2015. The rules are more aggressive than were anticipated when first announced in last year's Energy Bill and have been interpreted as an attempt by Washington to undermine individual States' efforts to take control of the issue.
Under the rules, each of the major car makers has a different target for cars and trucks, based on its future product plans. For example, General Motors' projected target for its light-truck fleet is 27.4 mpg in 2015, while Honda will have to meet a 29.6 mpg target in 2015.
Car makers have publicly endorsed the proposal but the Wall Street Journal reported that, in private, some said the pace of change had caught them off-guard.
The Government's proposal is being seen as an attempt to avoid a large number of separate states, including California, from legislating for fuel-economy improvements faster than legislation which Congress approved last year.
The administration' s proposal appears likely to exacerbate tensions between California and the federal government, in particular, as a provision under the new rules amends federal regulations to explicitly pre-empt "any state regulation regulating tailpipe carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles. "
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