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As expected, the feds have issued new average fuel economy rules for 2011 model-year cars and trucks, calling for an overall corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) of 27.3 miles per gallon.


The rules also drop language, inserted in the waning months of the Bush administration, that would have kept California from adopting its own greenhouse gas emissions regulations and other states (13 have signed up to do so) from following California's lead.


The new, interim CAFE regulations represent a an 8 percent, or 2 mpg, increase over the present standard and while not as high has many wanted it to be, are just the first in a series of CAFE adjustments we'll be seeing over the next few years.


The Obama administration has signaled that it is willing - and likely - to push the federal fuel economy standard well beyond the 35 miles per gallon minimum goal Congress has set for the 2020 model year.


To meet the 2011 rules, new passenger cars will be required to achieve a fleet average of 30.2 mpg, up from 27.5 mpg now, while light truck fuel economy would have to average 24.1 mpg, up from 23 mpg.


The Department of Transportation is estimating that the new CAFE standards for the 2011 model year will save 887 million gallons of fuel with a resulting cut in carbon dioxide emissions of 8.3 million metric tons.
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Tags: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Legislation, CAFE, CAFE Standards, Fuel Economy Rules

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CAFE Rises 8 Percent for 2011 Models, to 27.3 MPG; Bigger Boosts Coming was originally published by Green Car Advisor. Read the full story by clicking here.