U.S. Raises Fuel-Efficiency Requirements for Cars and Light Trucks

The Biden administration raised fuel-efficiency standards for passenger cars and light-duty trucks, part of a bid to mitigate climate change and nudge the auto industry toward electric vehicles.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Monday that it would require auto makers to achieve a fleetwide average of 55 miles a gallon by model year 2026, up from a standard of 43 mpg set during the Trump administration. The new standards begin to take effect in the model year 2023 and escalate annually. In total they would cut nationwide emissions by nearly 2%, based on EPA estimates.

The rules are the primary way the federal government addresses climate change via the transportation sector, the country’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Since President Biden was a candidate, he has promised to raise standards for cars and trucks, along with similar proposals targeting emissions from power plants and oil-and-gas companies.