The Detroit Free Press yesterday forecast that next weeks 2015 Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations announcement by the NHTSA in the US will set a 31.6 mpg fleet average limit for cars and trucks built between 2011 and 2015. The figure applies the current US fleet mix to a forecast limit of 35.7 mpg for passenger cars and 28.6 mpg for light trucks.
New passenger cars are currently required to meet a 27.5 mpg average, while SUVs, pickups and minivans need to reach 22.5 mpg. Manufacturers and others will be consulted on the new rules before they are signed in by President Bush, who has already signed in a December 2007 congressional bill imposing a 35 mpg limit for both cars and light trucks for 2020.
The rumoured 2011-2015 limit would succeed a current 27.5 mpg standard for cars which is unchanged since 1975. Last year, new cars on the US market averaged 31.3 mpg, while new trucks averaged 23.1 mpg.
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