Facing a potential rollback of fuel standards, we look at fuel economy and emissions through the years

Fuel economy in the U.S. has improved since the gas crisis in the 1970s. Earlier this month the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation issued a proposed ruling to roll back some goals for greater fuel economy set in 2012. What would that mean for California and the nation?

The proposal[hhmc]

The proposal would:

Freeze the fuel economy goals at the 2021 target of 37 mpg
Halt requirements on the production of hybrid and electric cars
Eliminate the legal waiver that allows states such as California to set higher standards

National average car mileage[hhmc]

The Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards are regulations enacted by Congress in 1975, after the 1973-74 Arab Oil Embargo, to improve the average fuel economy of cars and light trucks made in the U.S.

Cars that get 40-plus mpg[hhmc]

The number of cars with gas mileage of 40 mpg or greater is more than eight times more than the number in 1990. The chart below shows how many cars with 40 mpg on the highway by year from fueleconomy.gov. The list does not include variations of the same model such as a coupe and a wagon of the same model. Electric vehicles are included based on whats known as gas equivalent.Fuel economy data are the result of vehicle testing done at the Environmental Protection Agencys National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and by vehicle manufacturers with oversight by EPA.