In the United States, automakers are required to meet certain fleet-wide fuel economy and pollution standards, set in 2012 by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency.
If correctly implemented, these standards could, by 2030, decrease our oil use by more than 3 million barrels per day—roughly equivalent to the combined U.S. imports from the Persian Gulf and Venezuela. They’d pay off, too: consumers could save more than $8,000 over the life of a 2025 vehicle, even after buying the more fuel-efficient technology.
But more can be done. California has passed legislation that goes above and beyond the federal standards, which the U.S. could use as an example. And heavy-duty vehicles (such as semis and school buses) could become significantly cleaner with more progressive standards.