This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.

November 28, 2012

54.5 MPG and Beyond: Fueling Energy-Efficient Vehicles

For many, refueling their vehicle can be disappointing. It's the only activity where consumers watch the cost add up, dollar by dollar, quickly eating up disposable income. And much of that money goes right out the tail pipe—only 14-26% of the energy from fuel is used to move a vehicle down the road.

Fortunately, the Obama Administration's new national fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles will improve vehicle efficiency and save Americans money at the pump, all while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and growing the U.S. economy.

Finalized in August, the new standards build on the Obama Administration's first set of fuel economy increases—the first increase since 1985—that raised the average fuel economy of passenger vehicles to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. Under the new rules, cars and light-duty trucks built for model years 2017-2025 are expected to achieve industry-average fuel efficiency equivalents of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025—nearly double the efficiency of cars on the road today. For the complete story, see theEnergy Blog.