National Clean Vehicle Program: Model Year 2012-2016 Standards

The U.S. EPA and DOT finalized national greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards for model year 2012-2016 vehicles, aiming to increase combined average fuel economy to 34.1 mpg and reduce tailpipe emissions to 250 grams per mile. These standards, resulting from a compromise between the White House, automakers, and fourteen states, are projected to save consumers billions of dollars, reduce oil consumption by 1.2 million barrels per day, and cut global warming emissions by 209 million metric tons by 2020.

• The new standards for model year 2012-2016 vehicles are expected to increase the combined average fuel economy of new passenger cars and light trucks to 34.1 mpg, compared to a then-current fleet efficiency of 26.4 mpg. This represents a nearly 30 percent increase in fuel economy.
• The regulations establish the first national greenhouse gas tailpipe emissions standard for vehicles at 250 grams per mile, which is approximately 25 percent lower than the emissions of the average new vehicle at the time of publication.
• UCS analysis predicts that by 2020, the standards will result in significant economic and environmental gains: saving consumers $34 billion (at $2.75 per gallon) or $58 billion (at $4 per gallon), reducing U.S. oil consumption by about 1.2 million barrels per day, and cutting global warming emissions by 209 million metric tons.
• The standards are projected to stimulate job growth by 2020, potentially creating up to 20,000 new positions within the auto industry and up to 200,000 jobs nationwide.
• The national program was developed as a White House-brokered compromise to provide automakers with a single national compliance framework that is equivalent in stringency to the standards sought by California and thirteen other states.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2010). National Clean Vehicle Program: Model Year 2012-2016 Standards. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/National-Clean-Car-Standards-Fact-Sheet.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. National Clean Vehicle Program: Model Year 2012-2016 Standards. 2010. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/National-Clean-Car-Standards-Fact-Sheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=National Clean Vehicle Program: Model Year 2012-2016 Standards |date=April 2010 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/National-Clean-Car-Standards-Fact-Sheet.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2010national, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{National Clean Vehicle Program: Model Year 2012-2016 Standards}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2010}, month = apr, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/National-Clean-Car-Standards-Fact-Sheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }