U.S. Tightens Car Mileage Rules, Part of Strategy to Fight Climate Change
www.nytimes.com
The shift, which could reshape the American auto market, is designed to encourage sales of electric vehicles and hybrids.

The new standards require American automakers to increase fuel economy so that, across their product lines, their passenger vehicles would average 65 miles per gallon by 2031, up from 48.7 miles today. The average mileage for light trucks, including pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, would have to reach 45 miles per gallon, up from 35.1 miles per gallon. Selling electric vehicles and hybrids would help bring up the average mileage per gallon across their product lines.

  • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.orgEnglish
    0·
    5 months ago

    I figure they’ll just keep making trucks bigger. Isn’t that why current-gen trucks are so grotesquely over-sized? Genuine question: I vaguely recall reading somewhere that the increase in size was to skirt emissions and/or mileage requirements for light trucks.

    • silence7@slrpnk.netOP
      0·
      5 months ago

      Yes, if something crosses the boundary into “light truck” it has a weaker emissions requirement, so manufacturers modified vehicle designs to qualify as such. There’s also a tariff on light trucks, so making a “light truck” is more profitable than a similarly capable “car”.