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President Barack Obama announced new mileage requirements that mandate all new cars and light trucks average 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. The new regulations are projected to reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 900 million tons. Analysts calculate the new standards will cost consumers an extra $1,300 per vehicle, which will be offset by savings at the pump; these calculations are based on gas at $3.50 per gallon.
While vehicle manufacturers in the past nearly unanimously opposed such legislation, citing high costs and the technical difficulties meeting tougher mileage standards, many in the car industry support the uniform federal requirement as a way of simplifying standards, which currently vary from state to state. A few models already meet the pending regulations, including the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic hybrids and the VW Jetta diesel.
