More efficient cars for the US, China and Europe

The Obama Admnistration has finally enacted the new mileage standards that will significantly improve the efficiency of cars by 2025. These new standards will enable the country to save up to 3 million barrels per day by 2025.

As the White House blog noted : ” In total, this program will save consumers more than $1.7 trillion at the gas pump and reduce U.S. oil consumption by 12 billion barrels.”

Last but not least, this measure will create up to 500,000 jobs as Forbes noted in an article which will have to be added to the 250,000 jobs already created since 2009 according to the NRDC.

It seems energy efficiency is finally gaining traction elsewhere too as China and the European Union are also working at improving drastically the efficiency of their cars for the near future.

Earlier this summer, the Chinese government has been willing to boost the sales of efficiency cars.As Investopedia noted :

China has recently announced some new measures to increase automobile demand across the nation. While the main purpose of the 26.5 billion yuan subsidy program is designed for energy-efficient products, including high efficiency hot-water heaters and air conditioners, more than 6 billion yuan has been set aside for fuel-efficient cars.

Following America’s “Cash for Clunkers” style program, Beijing hopes to drum up industrial activity as well as continue with its goal of shifting the Chinese economy from one of export to one of domestic consumption. This is in addition to a $946 million subsidy program for purchases of vehicles with engines smaller than 1.6 liters,

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Last but not least, the European Union is willing to make cars one third more efficient by 2020. To the Guardian :

” Carmakers will have to slash the carbon emissions of new cars sold in Europe by a  third by 2020, according to leaked European Commission documents seen by the Guardian.

The EC proposals would be legally binding and the document plans for even stricter emissions targets for 2025 and 2030, which could only be met if hybrid or electric vehicles become mainstream.”

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To conclude : all this is good and sound, but let’s hope that alternatives to cars such as public transportation, carsharing and biking will be massively developped too.