Mandates for Many Miles Per Gallon

Another new proposed auto fuel mileage rule is expected from the Obama administration this week, listing an overall auto-industry standard that could be set as high as 60 mpg by 2025. Back in April, a rule forcing automakers to meet a required 35.5 miles per gallon standard in 2016 was announced. Although this would impose an estimated $52 billion burden on them, manufacturers welcomed this standard, as it will avoid a much more costly patchwork of state and federal regulation. I wonder if the talk of such a drastic increase only nine additional years further out now has them worried, though. I'm just a Blind Bambi, but I would want to wait a little longer to see the impact of the earlier attempt at such standards upon both the U.S. auto industry and their consumers before trying to come up with a fuel consumption target for 15 years out.