Today, the White House finalized cleaner car standards that will increase fuel efficiency to the equivalent of 54.5 mpg for cars and light-duty trucks by 2025. Achieving this would nearly double the fuel efficiency of cars and pickup trucks on the road today and cut carbon emissions per vehicle mile traveled nearly in half.

Below is the BlueGreen Alliance statement from our Executive Director David Foster:

These cleaner car standards will create 570,000 new jobs here in the U.S.—50,000 in parts manufacturing and vehicle assembly of light-duty vehicles alone—and add a net increase of about $75 billion in annual Gross Domestic Product by 2030 to the U.S. economy. Fuel savings consumers will see from these cleaner, more efficient cars and light trucks will far outweigh slightly higher costs for these advanced vehicles—benefiting workers, their families, and the economy as a whole. 

“These standards are an incredible victory. Already, Americans are flocking to these more fuel-efficient cars, creating jobs here at home and reducing carbon pollution and our nation’s dependence on foreign oil. 

“Supported by automakers, union members, environmental organizations, consumer groups and citizens across the country, this is truly an American success story—and a model for how government and industry can work together to achieve goals that benefit our economy and environment. “

We weren't the only ones who were excited about this important event. Our labor and environmental partners also praised this effort by the Obama adminsitration to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and greenhouse gas emissions, while creating good jobs for American workers. Below are excerpts from statements from some of our partners:

United Autoworkers President Bob King

UAW President Bob King said, “These new standards will help propel the auto industry forward by giving American families long-term relief from volatile fuel prices. Lowering the total cost of driving will make automobiles more affordable and expand the market for new vehicles.”

“The standards will also provide certainty for manufacturers in planning their investments and creating jobs in the auto industry as they add more fuel-saving technology to their vehicles. Bringing this additional content to market requires more engineers and more factory workers, expanding employment in the industry,” King added. A 2012 study by the BlueGreen Alliance, “Gearing Up,” found that the standards finalized today will lead to the creation of 570,000 new jobs by 2030, largely because consumers will spend less on fuel and more on other goods and services.

“This new standard caps off a remarkable set of achievements by President Obama to save the domestic auto industry and put it on a path to long-term prosperity,” said King. “Cleaner vehicles that significantly reduce our nation’s oil consumption are good for the auto industry and its workers, good for the environment and good for our nation’s economy.”

Natural Resources Defense Council President Frances Beinecke

These standards will save consumers $1.7 trillion at the gas pump and cut our oil imports by one-third. They also represent the biggest step America has taken to reduce carbon pollution and combat climate change.

Building cleaner cars is already helping regain something America lost over the last few decades. Detroit once led the world in auto design and engineering prowess, but innovations stalled and foreign competitors passed us by. Driving used to be a symbol of American freedom and mobility, but soaring gas prices resulted in costly commutes and staycations.

We can reignite America’s love affair with the open road and our patriotic pride in American ingenuity. If U.S. engineers made it possible for every new car to include a computer more powerful than the one that sent a man to the moon, then surely they can produce cars that go farther on a gallon of gas.

They can, and they are.

National Wildlife Federation President and CEO Larry Schweiger

“New fuel efficiency rules are a win across the board – drivers will save money with more efficient vehicles, automakers will get the regulatory certainty they need, and all Americans will benefit from cleaner air, a stronger economy, and greater energy security. This administration deserves credit for finding common ground among a broad range of stakeholders, showing government can work for Americans to solve our biggest environmental and economic problems.

Union of Concerned Scientists Director of Clean Vehicles program Michelle Robinson

“This is truly a watershed moment. Twenty years from now we’ll be looking back on this as the day we chose innovation over stagnation,” said Michelle Robinson, director of UCS’s Clean Vehicles program. “These standards will protect consumers from high gas prices, curb global warming pollution, cut our oil use, and create new jobs in the American auto industry and around the nation.”

Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune

"With June and July registering as the hottest months on record, and droughts ravaging America’s heartland, these standards are a major victory for our planet and our families. They will also save families thousands of dollars at the pump and create more than half a million new jobs.

"American automakers are roaring back as leaders of the global market because they are delivering what consumers want -- vehicles that use less gas, emit less pollution, and save families more money at the pump. Today Sierra Club, automakers, and autoworkers stand together to celebrate success for American industry, jobs, and the environment.”