President Barack Obama wants drivers to go farther on a gallon of gas and cause less damage to the environment—and be willing to pick up the tab. Obama is scheduled today to announce the first-ever national emissions limits for cars and trucks, as well as require a 35.5 miles per gallon standard. Consumers should expect to pay an extra $1,300 per vehicle by the time the plan is complete in 2016. Carol Browner, the White House energy and climate director, called the initiative a “truly historic” occasion, saying that such tougher environmental standards have been “long overdue.” The plan also would effectively end a feud between automakers and statehouses over emission standards—with the states coming out on top but the automakers getting the single national standard they’ve been seeking and more time to make the changes.
Obama’s plan couples for the first time pollution reduction from vehicle tailpipes with increased efficiency on the road. It would save 1.8 billion barrels of oil through 2016 and would be the environmental equivalent to taking 177 million cars off the road, senior administration officials say. New vehicles would be 30% cleaner and more fuel-efficient by the end of the program, according to officials familiar with the administration’s discussions. By the time the plan takes full effect, at the end of 2016, new vehicles would cost an extra $1,300. Officials say the cost would be recovered through savings at the pump for consumers who choose a standard 60-month car loan and if gas prices follow government projections.
