Policy update

U.S. light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas standards for model years 2023–2026 and corporate average fuel economy standards for model years 2024–2026

This policy update provides information on the U.S. light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) and corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards through model year 2026. The standards set separate numerical targets according to vehicle size or “footprint” for passenger cars and light trucks. The targets are sales-weighted based on each manufacturer’s production to determine the overall standards that the manufacturer must meet for its passenger cars and light trucks. Under the GHG standards, for the overall industry fleet-wide, the projected average GHG target in 2026 is 132 g/mile for passenger cars and 187 g/mile for light trucks. The projected average CAFE target in 2026 is 59.4 miles per gallon (mpg) and 42.4 mpg for passenger cars and light trucks, respectively.

Compliance under the two regulations would result in significant fuel savings and GHG emission reductions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the consumers will save more than 360 billion gallons of gasoline in calendar years 2023 to 2050 compared to the previous MY 2021–2026 standards under the Trump administration. Through 2050, the program will achieve reductions of more than 3.1 billion tons of CO2 and result in $150 to $170 billion in benefits. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates its 234 billion gallons of avoided gasoline consumption and emission reductions of 2.3 billion tons for calendar years 2021–2050 compared to the previous rule.