There is a green revolution taking place in the American automobile industry—cars are getting smaller, more fuel efficient, more electric and more capable of carrying cleaner burning alternative fuels like ethanol and biodiesel. This long overdue shift to low and zero emission vehicles is largely thanks to the Obama Administration’s increased fuel efficiency standards. The fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions rule adopted in 2010 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) took effect in 2011 and will increase miles per gallon requirements every year until 2025, when the window sticker rating must be 54.5 MPG. That means less trips to the gas station, more money savings, more energy security with less reliance on foreign oil, cleaner air to breathe and combating climate change by reducing CO2 emissions.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and EPA’s website www.fueleconomy.gov provides consumers with fuel saving tips, information on the new fuel economy and environment label designs for the new generation of vehicles that will begin model year 2013, and helps car buyers choose the most fuel efficient vehicles on the market.
The DOE’s National Clean Fleets Partnership is also making a big difference by working with large private fleets to reduce oil use by converting to electric vehicles, hybrids and more fuel efficient delivery vehicles. This partnership is ensuring that high gas prices won’t have as much of an impact on the bottom line. Some of the companies in the partnership include Best Buy, Coca-Cola, FedEx, Staples and Verizon.
