In May, President Barack Obama ordered the Environmental Protection Agency and the federal Department of Transportation to develop fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks for model years 2014 to 2018. The move would set the first-ever mileage and pollution limits for big trucks and tighten rules for future cars and SUVs.
At a White House ceremony, Obama said that in the next 20 years, vehicles should use half as much fuel and produce half as much pollution.
“The nation that leads in the clean energy economy will lead the global economy,” Obama said. “And I want America to be that nation.”