14 DAY TRIAL // A couple of days ago, US President Barack Obama went public with the news that stricter fuel efficiency standards for American trucks would be rolled out and implemented in the not so distant future.
The way Barack Obama sees things, these new standards have very high chances to yield both environmental and financial benefits for the country.
According to media reports, the US President made this announcement while visiting a Safeway Depot in the state of Maryland.
Thus, he took advantage of this occasion to let people know that not only was he thinking about setting stricter fuel efficiency standards for American trucks in place, but that the had also asked the country's Environmental Protection Agency to start working on them.
Should things go as planned, the Agency is to finish work on these new standards by the end of March 2016, Business Green tells us.
The new fuel efficiency requirements will serve to complement existing standards that target small trucks and cars, and will help the country cut down on its yearly greenhouse gas emissions and reduce haulage costs, the same source details.
“Strong heavy truck efficiency standards will not only cut carbon pollution that fuels climate change, but also save consumers money every time they go to a store and save truckers money at the pump,” explains Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
“Just as clean car standards are revitalizing the American auto industry, which added more than 370,000 jobs, setting the bar higher for trucks will further encourage innovation in the industry,” she adds.
Under existing regulations, semi-trucks must improve on their fuel efficiency by 20% by the year 2018. By the same date, heavy duty pick-up trucks and delivery trucks, buses and garbage trucks must up their fuel efficiency by 15% and 10%, respectively.
What's more, President Obama wants to take steps towards ensuring that the country will “double the distance our cars and light trucks can go on a gallon of gas by 2025.”