April 23, 2008
bY Ylan Q. Mui
Washington Post
The Department of Transportation yesterday proposed a timetable for auto manufacturers to meet landmark new fuel economy standards, calling the schedule "historically ambitious yet achievable."
Under the regulations, the overall fleet of new vehicles, including cars and light trucks, would be required to average 25.3 miles per gallon in 2010 and reach 31.6 miles per gallon by 2015, an increase of 4.5 percent each year. Such standards would save about 55 billion gallons of fuel over the life of the vehicles affected and slash $100 billion in gas costs for consumers, according to figures from the department.
"What we were looking for was a balance between affordability and achieving the right levels of fuel economy," Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said yesterday at a news conference. "I think we got an aggressive but achievable standard."
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