Vehicle Efficiency and Emissions Standards

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) outlines the federal fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for light-duty and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in the United States from 2007 to 2027. It details the legislative history starting with the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the subsequent regulatory actions by the EPA and NHTSA, and the projected economic and environmental benefits of these standards.

• Transportation in the U.S. is a major source of emissions and oil consumption, with people and goods transport accounting for 27 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and approximately 70 percent of all U.S. oil use, which is about 13.1 million barrels per day excluding biofuels.
• Medium and heavy-duty diesel vehicles have a disproportionate impact on emissions; despite making up only 5 percent of vehicles on the road, they account for more than 20 percent of transportation emissions.
• The combined fuel efficiency standards for light-duty vehicles from 2012 to 2025 are projected to save consumers over $1.7 trillion at the gas pump, reduce oil consumption by 12 billion barrels, and cut GHG emissions by 6 billion metric tons.
• The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 established a minimum fuel economy standard of 35 miles per gallon for cars and light trucks by model year 2020 and required the maximum feasible standards for 2021-2030.
• The proposed Phase 2 standards for medium and heavy-duty vehicles (2018-2027) aim for an 8 to 24 percent increase in fuel efficiency. These are projected to save $170 billion for vehicle owners, conserve 1.8 billion barrels of oil, and reduce carbon emissions by 1 billion tons.
• The EPA estimates that the Phase 2 medium and heavy-duty vehicle standards will lower trucking costs such that the average U.S. household will save nearly $150 a year by 2030 and $275 by 2040.
• Medium and heavy-duty vehicle standards are categorized into three groups: heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans, vocational vehicles, and combination tractors. While pickup trucks and vans use mileage-based standards, vocational vehicles and combination tractors use ton-mile targets to account for freight load.

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} }