New Fuel Economy Standards Will Save Americans Money, Strengthen National Security

(Washington, D.C. – April 1, 2022) The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced today final standards that will improve fuel economy in new cars and save Americans money on gas.

“Today’s action will mean better gas mileage in new cars and passenger trucks,” said EDF senior attorney Alice Henderson. “Those fuel efficiency improvements will deliver cost savings at the gas pump for the American people and will strengthen our national security by reducing our dependence on oil at a time when the urgency for doing so could not be more profound.”

The updated Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards will apply to cars, minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks in model years 2024 to 2026. New cars will get 49 miles per gallon fleetwide by 2026, more than 30 percent more than model year 2021 cars. Before CAFÉ standards were first implemented in the 1970’s cars got an average of 13 miles per gallon.

The updated standards will be phased in to deliver swift savings to American families. By 2040 Americans will have saved billion of gallons of fuel - and billions of dollars for their wallets. The standards will also reduce the pollution we put into our air, reduce our dependence on imported oil, and support new well-paying jobs in the auto industry.