Feds may accelerate fuel-efficiency criteria

5/12/2011

WASHINGTON — The U.S. may require annual fuel-efficiency improvements of 2 percent to 7 percent from 2017 to 2025 for cars and light trucks, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The agency said in a notice it will evaluate the costs and environmental effects of boosting fuel efficiency in the proposed rule it’s slated to publish in September.

Automakers must have a fleet-wide average of 34.1 miles a gallon, according to the existing fuel-economy rule that applies through model-year 2016 vehicles.

The United States said last year automakers selling cars in the country may have to almost double fuel economy to as much as 62 miles a gallon by 2025 models with annual fuel-economy increases of as much as 6 percent.