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Last week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its report card on how automakers complied with historic vehicle standards in 2013. These vehicle standards will cut average vehicle emissions to 163 grams of carbon dioxide per mile in 2025, equivalent to 54.5 miles per gallon. The key takeaway from EPA's report - automakers are exceeding standards for the second year in a row.
Every year, each automaker is required to meet a certain standard based on the vehicles they sell. The standards are based on each sold vehicle’s "footprint," with larger vehicles facing less stringent standards than smaller vehicles. In 2013, automakers collectively exceeded the standards by 12 grams of CO2 per mile, equivalent to roughly 1.4 miles per gallon.
These vehicle standards are working, which is good news for consumers and the climate. More efficient vehicles mean spending less on gas and refilling less frequently. According to our colleagues at the Union of Concerned Scientists, 2013 vehicles were roughly nine percent more efficient than vehicles sold in 2010, saving owners around $100 a year at current gas prices.
Automakers are offering more efficient models than ever before, using technologies such as gasoline direct injection, variable valve timing and more efficient transmissions. From 2009 to 2014, the number of available car models averaging more than 30 miles per gallon more than tripled. There are now more models of plug-in electric vehicles to choose from than ever before. Additionally, manufacturers are reducing the global warming impacts of vehicle air conditioning systems, both by switching to less harmful refrigerants and by reducing leaks. The EPA report also details how automakers are taking advantage of flexibilities in the standards by generating, storing and using credits.
Although automakers are on track to meet standards both now and in the future, some have begun to reference low gas prices an excuse to back off these historic standards. Given the volatility of gas prices, now is exactly the time to ensure our cars and trucks continue to be more efficient. It is clear that vehicle standards are working, saving consumers money at the pump and reducing our dependence on oil, which news worth celebrating.