April 10, 2022 – The improved efficiency requirements announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are looking to result in a fleetwide average for new cars and light trucks of 49 miles per gallon by model year 2026.
NHTSA estimates that its updated rules will mean the average 2029-model-year vehicle would cost $960 more than the average car today but the lifetime gains through fuel savings would be $1280, which means that buyers will save an average of $320 thanks to these more efficient vehicles.
Another way to think about it, as described by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, is that if you’re filling up four times a month today, you’d only have to stop at a gas station three times a month if you’re driving one of these more-efficient vehicles.
