President Obama announced today that the administration will develop new fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) standards for medium and heavy-duty trucks by March 2016. These standards will apply to large vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, buses, and pick-up trucks for model years beyond 2018. They follow on existing standards which the White House projects will save 530 million barrels of oil, reduce GHG emissions by 270 million metric tons, and save vehicle owners an estimated $50 billion in fuel costs over the lifetime of the vehicles covered.

Heavy-duty vehicles comprise just 4 percent of registered vehicles in the U.S., but they account for about one-quarter of on-road fuel use and GHG emissions. This announcement is a component of the U.S. Climate Action Plan, announced by President Obama in June 2013.

Following is a statement by Kevin Kennedy, Director of the U.S. Climate Objective, WRI:

“As similar standards have shown, we can have cleaner vehicles that are good for business and save money for consumers. Given the cost-effectiveness of these rules over their lifetime, we expect the Administration will set an ambitious standard that incorporates the best technologies, while putting the US on track for even deeper cuts in the future.”

“As it moves forward with the Climate Action Plan, the Obama administration is steadily putting together the pieces to shift the U.S. to a strong, low-carbon economy.”


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