Obama To Announce New Fuel Standards For Cars And Trucks
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Imagine driving close to 1,000 miles on a single tank full of gas. The Obama administration wants Detroit to do more than imagine it. It wants those cars built.
Alex DeMetrick has an advanced look at new fuel economy standards to be announced Friday.
You have to have gas if you want to drive. But what if you could go further, a lot further, on a fill up?
"I think it would be terrific to save money on gas," said Alice, motorist.
"I'm excited about that. I think it's great if it'll happen," said Harold Miller, motorist.
The Obama administration thinks it can, and will roll out new fuel economy standards on Friday.
Automakers have already agreed to cars that get over 35 miles per gallon by 2016.
The White House wants that upped to 54.5 miles by 2025, a slight scaling back from the initial target 56.2 miles per gallon. That may seem like a stretch until you see the incentive high gas prices have already created.
"We just drove down to Florida, and last year I drove my car that got 22 miles a gallon. And now I have a new car and I was getting 30 miles a gallon. I was very pleased with that," Miller said.
If technology bring more miles per gallon, will people be able to afford it? It's a question people already struggle with.
"People are going to look and say, 'Well, wait a minute. I can get a vehicle that does 25 miles to the gallon for x, or I have to pay x plus for one that gets 30,' said Pete Horrigan, Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Distributors. "I think they're going to go for the lesser one at this time. Make these fuel-efficient cars sellable to the public at a reasonable price."
Elective vehicles are an example. The technology that moves cars at three cents a mile is currently out of most people's price range. But proponents see cheaper batteries ahead.
"By 2015, this will be cheaper than buying an internal combustion engine car," said Mahi Reddy, SemmaConnect EV Technology
Maybe. But right now GM is investing in hybrid technology at a Maryland plant, and it might be the fastest way to 55 miles per gallon.
According to a study by the research group, Environment Maryland, cars approaching 60 miles per gallon could save a driver $9,000 over the life of the car.
