Federal clean car standards

In August 2012, the U.S. Government finalized greenhouse gas reduction and fuel efficiency standards for new cars and other passenger vehicles in model years 2017-2025. These vehicles account for about 40 percent of all U.S. oil consumption and nearly 20 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

This clean car initiative will cut harmful climate pollution and nearly double our current fuel economy performance by 2025. It builds on the adoption of the first-ever national scale greenhouse gas pollution reduction and efficiency standards for model years 2012-2016 finalized in 2010.

Leading on clean cars will provide vital benefits for our national security, our economy and our environment

The nation's new efforts will pave the way for a new generation of vehicles that will achieve oil savings of more than 2 million barrels per day in 2025 – nearly half of what we import daily from OPEC today. The standards will also reduce dangerous greenhouse gas pollution, save consumers trillions of dollars at the gas pump, and position US automakers as leaders in the global marketplace.

Major U.S. automakers support federal standards

The new proposal has won broad support from automakers, small businesses, the United Auto Workers, American consumers, national security groups, economists, advocacy groups, and EDF.

Clean cars program by the numbers

• $1.7 trillion Money consumers will save at the pump over the life of the program

• 12 billion Barrels of oil saved over lifetime of 2012-2025 model year vehicles

• 6 billion Metric tons of carbon dioxide eliminated over the life of the program

• $8,000 Money American families will save over the life of a new vehicle in 2025