Vehicle Efficiency and Emissions Standards

The document details the evolution of U.S. vehicle efficiency standards, starting with the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. It highlights the collaboration between the EPA, NHTSA, and auto manufacturers to implement standards for light-duty vehicles and two phases of standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The standards aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower oil consumption, and save consumers and vehicle owners billions of dollars by 2027.

• Transportation accounts for 27 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and approximately 70 percent of all U.S. oil use, with gasoline and diesel burning contributing 59 percent and 24 percent of the sector's emissions, respectively.
• The NHTSA and EPA estimate that fuel efficiency standards will save consumers over $1.9 trillion at the pump, reduce oil consumption by 14.3 billion barrels, and eliminate 7.3 billion metric tons of GHG pollution by 2027.
• The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 mandated fuel economy standards for passenger and non-passenger automobiles from 2011 to 2030, including a minimum standard of 35 miles per gallon for cars and light trucks by model year 2020.
• Light-duty vehicle standards for model years 2017 to 2025 aim to increase average fuel economy to 54.5 mpg by 2025, which, combined with previous standards, is projected to reduce GHG emissions by 6 billion metric tons and cut oil consumption by 12 billion barrels.
• Phase 1 standards for medium and heavy-duty vehicles (model years 2014-2018) projected a reduction of 270 million metric tons of CO2 emissions and 530 million barrels of oil, saving owners more than $50 billion in fuel costs.
• The proposed Phase 2 standards for medium and heavy-duty vehicles (model years 2018-2027) call for an 8 to 24 percent increase in fuel efficiency, projected to cut GHG emissions by 1 billion metric tons and save vehicle owners $170 billion.
• Medium and heavy-duty vehicle standards are categorized by vehicle type: heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans (mileage-based), and vocational vehicles and combination tractors (ton-mile based).

APA

Haven, P., & Gutin, O. (2015). Vehicle Efficiency and Emissions Standards. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Vehicle_Emissions_081815.pdf

Chicago

Haven, Paul, and Ori Gutin. Vehicle Efficiency and Emissions Standards. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2015. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Vehicle_Emissions_081815.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Haven |first1=Paul |last2=Gutin |first2=Ori |title=Vehicle Efficiency and Emissions Standards |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=August 2015 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Vehicle_Emissions_081815.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{haven2015vehicle, author = {Haven, Paul and Gutin, Ori}, title = {{Vehicle Efficiency and Emissions Standards}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2015}, month = aug, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Vehicle_Emissions_081815.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }