As a young teacher, I don’t have extra money lying around. I try to make choices that I can afford now, and that won’t cost me more later. It’s for this reason that I appreciate and support the new fuel efficiency rules for cars and trucks that will start going into effect next year. When I am ready to purchase my next car, spending less on gas will save me money and give me a better chance to get ahead.
Each year under these rules, vehicles will have to improve their fuel efficiency until they achieve 54.5 miles per gallon in 2025.
The average passenger car is driven 12,000 miles per year and gets just under 25 miles per gallon. Doubling the fuel efficiency for cars on the road will currently save over $500 per year at the pump. Should gas prices get back to over $4 per gallon, families would save closer to $1,000 each year. That’s real money for people like me.
The federal agencies responsible for crafting these rules are currently reviewing them and deciding whether to stay the course. I support maintaining strong standards that yield the expected cost savings originally envisioned.
My hope is that the kids I am teaching will grow up in a world where driving to work doesn’t break the bank. And thanks to the fuel efficiency rules, it won’t.
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