The EPA has announced new fuel economy standards for vehicles and trucks!

Under a new set of federal pollution restrictions slated to take effect in 2023, vehicle buyers in the United States will certainly see more electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the coming years.

The rules are part of the federal Environmental Protection Agency‘s regular resetting of car greenhouse gas requirements. These emissions are accompanied by fuel efficiency objectives since they are a direct outcome of fossil fuels burnt by ice engines per mile.

The aim asks for an annual fuel economy gain of 5 to 10% for passenger cars and light trucks between 2023 and 2026 until the industrywide average for real-world efficiency reaches 40 miles per gallon at the end of 2026.

  • That’s a 60% increase over the 2020 average of 24.9 mpg, which is the most recent year for which a fuel economy average is available.
  • It’s a 25% increase above the 32 mpg average that would’ve been required by 2026 under the now-defunct fuel efficiency requirements imposed by the Trump Administration as part of its divisive rollback of Obama-era regulations.

According to EPA experts, automakers will need to construct almost 2 million additional EVs and PHEVs each year by 2026 to meet the Biden Administration’s increased targets.

In a year with 15 million light-vehicle sales, which has been the national average for the previous decade, that implies 2.5 million EVs and PHEVs will be sold, roughly four times the total sold in 2021.

Buyers Monetary Return

Better efficiency comes at a cost to car consumers, but it pays out in the long run.

According to the EPA, meeting the revised goal in 2026 will add nearly $1,000 to the cost of the average light car.

The return comes in the shape of a $1,080 gasoline savings on average. According to the EPA research, a buyer of a new 2026 internal combustion vehicle or truck would have to wait over a decade for fuel savings to cover the $1,000 buying premium.

EV customers, on the other hand, would enjoy a considerably faster return. That’s because electric cars don’t need regular maintenance, don’t have traditional engines or transmissions to maintain, don’t require as many brake repairs, and have fuel costs that are around half of those of internal combustion vehicles.

Lower harmful tailpipe emissions and cleaner air help society as well. As fuel economy and the number of electric vehicles on the road improvements, respiratory problems and some types of malignancies should decline, helping to keep rising healthcare expenses in check.

With cars like the 2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid small truck, the fight for greener automobiles is already paying dividends. The gas-electric vehicle gets 42 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway and city combined, according to the EPA.

EPA Only For Electric Vehicle

The typical electric car now has a fuel economy rating of just under 100 mpg, making it a crucial tool in automakers’ efforts to meet rigorous fuel efficiency standards.

By the 2026 model year, the EPA forecasts that 17% of all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the United States will have to be entirely electric or employ plug-in hybrid gas-electric powertrains.

In 2021, EV and PHEV sales combined accounted for slightly under 4% of total light-vehicle sales in the United States. That’s less than 700,000 vehicles, with electric vehicles accounting for little under two-thirds of the total.

Best EPA Range Rating

What is Real-Word Fuel Efficiency?

According to the way the EPA evaluates efficiency, the new emissions requirements require an automaker’s whole light vehicle fleet to achieve an average fuel efficiency of 55 mpg. While it may seem like a tall order in a market where pickup trucks and SUVs outnumber smaller sedans and coupes, it’s crucial to realize that figure is purely for regulatory purposes.

Real-world fuel efficiency, as recorded on new-vehicle window stickers, is assessed on a different scale, and the regulation 55 mpg converts to around 40 mpg when a number of variables such as zero emissions and advanced fuel efficiency technology credits are factored in.

Still, achieving a 40 mpg real-world fuel economy average across the whole light vehicle fleet indicates a significant increase in inefficiency.

Autoline Network – EPA Raises Fuel Economy Target; Geely Hybrids Coming to the U.S.?