Last week, President Obama announced that the administration will begin to work on new fuel-economy standards for heavy- and – medium-duty trucks starting in 2019.
“The fuel standards we set over the past few years mean that, by the middle of the next decade, the cars and trucks we buy will go twice as far on a gallon of gas. And in the coming months, we’ll partner with truck makers to do it again for the next generation of vehicles,” Obama said.
The standards on fuel consumption and emissions, issued in 2011, call for reducing the maximum levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in trucks and engines manufactured in 2014 and 2017.
The goal for the new round of fuel-economy standards is to improve fuel economy, while reducing carbon emissions, and without sacrificing vehicle performance. The new standards may include rules for trailers, and will likely cover Classes 2-8 trucks.