Dec. 21, 2021—The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday tightened fuel consumption standards to 40 miles per gallon by 2026 for cars and light trucks.
The new standards are part of a larger effort by the Biden administration to come down harder on pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, according to a report from CNN. The EPA called the standards "the most ambitious greenhouse gas standards ever set for the light-duty vehicle sector in the U.S."
Standards for each model year from 2023 through 2026 will increase between five and 10 percent every year. The 40 mpg standard is only slightly higher than the 38.2 mpg the EPA first proposed in August.
According to an agency fact sheet, the new standards will reduce the country's CO2 emissions by 3.1 billion tons and cut down the country's use of gas by 360 billion gallons.
