What’s good for gas mileage is good for consumers

When it comes to getting more miles per gallon, consumers want automakers and the federal government to put the pedal to the metal and keep American fuel-efficiency standards strong.  

The EPA is working on a midterm review of national fuel economy standards to determine if automakers have made enough short-term progress and if they can meet the long-term 54.5-mpg fleet wide average by 2025. Automakers and dealers have been putting in their two cents. And it’s important that the voice of the car-buying public is heard, as well, because that is where the rubber meets the road.  

{mosads}At the Consumer Federation of America, our yearly national random sample polling shows enduring support for fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks. In our most recent survey, in February, consumers said they expect gas prices to rise again soon and are factoring that expectation into their next vehicle purchase. Eighty-six percent of the Americans we talked to said that good gas mileage will be an “important” or “very important” factor in deciding which car or light truck they buy next.  

Consumers instinctively get what CFA’s cost/benefit analyses show: better gas mileage leaves more money in consumers’ pockets.  

From the minute you drive off the lot, the national fuel economy standards lower your total cost of driving. Let’s say you take out a five-year auto loan tomorrow. CFA analysis shows your monthly gas savings will exceed any increase in the monthly payment needed to buy a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Thanks to the current fuel economy standards, the average automobile buyer is saving about $3,000 over the life of a car or light truck. 

The fuel economy standards also help consumers by ensuring choice. MPG requirements are pegged to vehicle size — higher for compact cars and lower for SUVs and pickups — and don’t favor any particular technology. Someone in the market for a truck or SUV gets to pick from a wider variety of increasingly fuel-efficient choices. If somebody wants a traditional gas-powered vehicle, those are widely available – and so are hybrids, electric vehicles and other advanced technologies. No matter where a consumer shops, more efficient options will be offered, because all automakers are covered by the standards.  

There are also a lot of big-picture ways in which higher fuel economy standards help consumers. They strengthen car companies by making them more competitive in the global marketplace, and this means more jobs and a stronger economy. Boosting efficiency cuts air pollution, leading to cleaner air, lower healthcare costs and fewer days missed from work and school. Boosting miles per gallon reduces our economic dependence on oil, which is a global commodity whose volatile market often whipsaws the economy.  

Given all these benefits, it’s no wonder major automakers joined consumer groups, labor, environmentalists and national security leaders in supporting the goal of 54.5 mpg. But even before the target was set, automakers were already widening their selection of fuel-efficient automobiles. Over the past decade, the number of models sold in America that get more than 23 mpg has risen by almost 40 percent. The national 54.5-mpg goal is ensuring that trend continues—but it also reflects a longtime consumer preference for being able to drive farther on each gallon of gas.

American consumers understand that buying a gas guzzler amounts to playing Russian roulette with their bank account, because prices at the pump are so volatile. Since the start of the century, annual average gasoline prices have ranged from $1.22 to $ 3.68 per gallon. When it comes to gas prices, what goes down will go up – and consumers know it.  

As the EPA conducts its midterm review to see how the national effort to get to 54.5 mpg by 2025 is going, it is not the time to take our foot off the accelerator. More fuel-efficient cars and light trucks are exactly what Americans want.

Cooper is director of research and Gillis, author of The Car Book, is director of public affairs for the Consumer Federation of America, a national association of nearly 300 non-profit organizations working to advance the interests of consumers.