DOT, EPA Boost Fuel Economy, Set GHG Emission Limits for Light Vehicles
U.S. Federal Government to Double Hybrid Fleet
DOE: $18M for Advanced Biofuels User Facility
DOE: Tough Standards for Home Heating Equipment
Report Proposes National Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation
Clean Energy Conferences in Spring and Early Summer
DOT, EPA Boost Fuel Economy, Set GHG Emission Limits for Light Vehicles
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. EPA jointly established new federal rules on April 1 that set the first-ever national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the US.
The rules, which will significantly increase the fuel economy of vehicles starting with the 2012 model year, could save the average buyer $3,000 over the life of a 2016 model year car. The measures will conserve about 1.8 billion barrels of oil, and reduce nearly a billion tons of GHG emissions over the lives of the vehicles covered.
The final rules, issued by DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and EPA, establish increasingly stringent fuel economy standards under NHTSA's Corporate Average Fuel Economy program and GHG emission standards under the Clean Air Act for vehicles produced in model years 2012-2016.
The collaboration of federal agencies also allows for clearer rules for automakers, instead of three standards (DOT, EPA, and a state standard). Starting with 2012 model year vehicles, the rules require automakers to improve fleet-wide fuel economy and reduce fleet-wide GHG emissions by about 5% a year, reaching an estimated 34.1 miles per gallon (mpg) for the combined industry-wide fleet for model year 2016.
However, because credits for air-conditioning improvements can be used to meet the EPA standards, the rules require manufacturers to achieve a combined average vehicle emission level of 250 grams of carbon dioxide per mile by the 2016 model year. If all the GHG reductions came from fuel economy improvements, this would be equivalent to 35.5 mpg.
NHTSA and EPA expect automobile manufacturers to meet these standards by more widespread adoption of conventional efficiency technologies that are already in commercial use, such as improved aerodynamics, lighter materials, and more efficient engines, transmissions, and tires, as well as improvements in air conditioning systems. The agencies also expects some manufacturers to pursue more advanced fuel-saving technologies such as clean diesel engines, hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and electric vehicles. See the DOT press release, the final rule (PDF 6.93 MB), and the Web page for the EPA climate regulations.
U.S. Federal Government to Double Hybrid Fleet
President Obama announced on March 31 that the federal government will update the federal fleet with fuel efficient hybrids and plug-in hybrids.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) will replace 5,603 of its least-fuel-efficient cars and trucks with hybrids, doubling the number of hybrids in the federal fleet without increasing the total number of vehicles. GSA will also purchase 100 plug-ins in 2011. DOE will lead the initiative by replacing 753 vehicles with hybrids this year, bringing its total to 888, even as the agency trims the overall size of its vehicle fleet.
These steps are part of a broad effort to implement President Obama's October 2009 Executive Order, which calls for federal agencies to cut the government's fleet petroleum use by 30% by 2020. See the DOE press release and the article on the Executive Order from the October 7, 2009, edition of the EERE Network News.
