The U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) have established new federal rules for greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions standards for all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the US.  The rules improve fuel efficiency, could save the average buyer up to $3,000 over the life of a 2016 model year car, conserve about 1.8 billion barrels of oil, and reduce nearly a billion tons of GHG emissions over the life of a new vehicle.

The joint issue of rules allows automakers to comply with one set of rules, instead of three different sets (DOT, EPA, and a state standard).

NHTSA and EPA believe automakers can meet the new standards by adopting  existing efficiency technologies such as lighter materials, more efficient engines, transmissions, tires, and  air conditioning systems.

For more information, see the DOT press release, the final rule (PDF 6.93 MB), and the Web page for the EPA climate regulations.