Source: By Michael Wayland, Ann Arbor News •
Posted: Thursday, March 20, 2014
A small fraction of cars sold last year met the Obama administration’s 2025 fuel economy standard, but the auto industry is still on a “very good path” to meet the regulation, a U.S. EPA official said.
Just 5 percent of cars sold in 2013 had an average fuel economy of 54.5 mpg — the 2025 standard for light-duty vehicles set by President Obama in 2012 — according to Michael Olechiw, the director of EPA’s light-duty vehicle and small engine center.Still, Olechiw said there have been signs that automakers are ramping up their production of more fuel-efficient cars, with a particular focus on electric vehicles.”We’re already seeing that there are manufacturers that are producing vehicles in significant numbers which meet the 2025 standards,” Olechiw said yesterday at an auto industry forum in Dearborn, Mich.
But analysts adopted a wait-and-see approach, noting that the 2025 standards could be downgraded after a midterm review in 2017.
“We need this midterm review,” said Christopher Nevers, director of climate and fuel economy at the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. “It’s very important” (Michael Wayland, Ann Arbor News, March 18)
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