National Clean Vehicle Program: Creating a Combined Standard

The National Clean Vehicle Program harmonizes fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards for light-duty vehicles through model year 2016, involving the NHTSA, EPA, and California Air Resources Board (CARB). The program aims to increase average fuel economy to nearly 34.1 mpg and reduce global warming tailpipe pollution by approximately 25% via a fleetwide target of 250 grams per mile. While California agreed to accept these federal standards through 2016, it retains the legal authority to set more stringent standards in the future.

• The National Clean Vehicle Program coordinates three independent standards from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to ensure complementary stringency for model years 2012-2016.
• For model years 2012 through 2016, the new standards are projected to raise the average fuel economy of light-duty vehicles to nearly 34.1 miles per gallon, representing an increase of almost 30 percent over previous levels.
• The EPA has established a fleetwide target of 250 grams per mile for tailpipe pollution, which is estimated to reduce global warming emissions by approximately 25 percent.
• Under the 2009 agreement, California agreed to accept federal standards through model year 2016 provided they meet the state's required stringency, though California maintains its legal right to implement more stringent standards in subsequent years.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2010). National Clean Vehicle Program: Creating a Combined Standard. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/How-the-Federal-and-State-Clean-Car-Standards-Work-Together.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. National Clean Vehicle Program: Creating a Combined Standard. 2010. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/How-the-Federal-and-State-Clean-Car-Standards-Work-Together.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=National Clean Vehicle Program: Creating a Combined Standard |date=April 2010 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/How-the-Federal-and-State-Clean-Car-Standards-Work-Together.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2010national, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{National Clean Vehicle Program: Creating a Combined Standard}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2010}, month = apr, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/How-the-Federal-and-State-Clean-Car-Standards-Work-Together.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }