Obama announces tough new gas mileage standards -- 54.5 mpg

[The Straight Story]

Obama announces tough new gas mileage standards -- 54.5 mpg

President Obama is announcing tough fuel-economy standards starting in the 2017 model year, requiring automakers to average 54.5 miles a gallon.

The standard is sure to force dramatic changes in cars, making them smaller, lighter and loaded with higher-technology engines like hybrids, diesels or other fuel savers. The standard is so tough that only a couple electric models would meet it today. Even Toyota's Prius hybrid, which averages 50 miles a gallon, would fall short.

But because of the way fuel economy is calculated, window sticker labels of estimated fuel economy of individual models will be lower.

Those labels will probably show values of about 40 mpg, says Roland Hwang, transportation director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Because of the differences between the laboratory certification test cycle and the on-road fuel efficiency, drivers can expect to see the average window fuel economy label to be about 40 mpg, compared to today's average of about 22.5 mpg," Hwang writes.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/07/obama-announces-tough-new-gas-mileage-standards----545-mpg/1

[ZombieHorde]

1. Excellent. nt

[abelenkpe]

2. Doh

My car gets fifty. Was gonna buy another but....

[Poll_Blind]

3. I think this is great but historically, doesn't Congress usually water these down later?

I heard the President speaking about this, this morning and it was very good news!

PB

[tridim]

5. Another reason why we have to fight like hell to take back the House

and strengthen our power in the Senate.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

6. "...doesn't Congress usually water these down later?"

:rofl:

Gonna leave a mark!

[tridim]

4. How Republican of him.

:sarcasm:

[neverforget]

7. Excellent! Good job Obama!

:thumbsup:

[Forkboy]

8. K&R

[Davis_X_Machina]

9. He doesn't mean it, though...

..you can tell.

[get the red out]

10. Good news

I just bought an Insight, which now will almost be a gas guzzler by the time I trade it in, LOL. That's cool, we really need higher gas mileage. If people knew how much fun it is to drive on by gas stations when you would have had to stop and fill up, AGAIN.....

[WinkyDink]

11. It'll never happen.