WASHINGTON — Cars and light trucks will be required to meet a U.S. fuel-economy average of 27.3 miles per gallon for 2011 models, an increase of 2 mpg, an Obama administration official said.
The standard for cars will average 30.2 mpg, up from 27.5 currently, and 24.1 for light trucks, up from 23.1 mpg for 2009 models, according to the official, who declined to be identified because the targets haven’t been announced.
The standard isn’t as aggressive as the 27.8 mpg target that President George W. Bush proposed in April 2008. Bush delayed the rule, and it was never implemented.
President Barack Obama’s administration has a March 31 deadline for setting the standard, giving the industry about 18 months to prepare its 2011 models to meet the requirement.
The new rule is the first step in implementing a December 2007 law that called for vehicles to meet a 35 mpg standard by 2020 models.
