There's More to Be Done on Meeting Fuel-Efficicency Standards, and Steel Still Has a Role to Play, Government Report Says
07/20/2016 - A new government report estimates that the U.S. vehicle fleet will average between 50 and 52.6 mpg in model year 2025, short of the goal laid out by the Obama administration in 2012. Nevertheless, automakers have made strides in improving fuel efficiency and can do even better.
The report, prepared by EPA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and California Air Resources Board, takes a look at the progress being made toward reaching new fuel-efficiency standards laid out by the Obama administration in 2012.
The report said that while the vehicle fleet is likely to fall short of the 54.5 mpg goal due to consumer preferences for trucks and SUVs, automakers have technologies available to them now that will help them make more progress.
“There are many vehicles – from many manufacturers – meeting future standards several years ahead of schedule. In fact, there are over 100 car, SUV and pick-up truck versions on the market today that already meet 2020 or later standards,” officials from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement.
The report said vehicle light-weighting will continue to figure into the effort. And, it said, mass reduction will likely be less costly than it is today.
“Advancements expected include the development of lower cost high-strength steel alloys for body structures (third-generation steels),” it said.
In a statement, the Steel Market Development Institute, a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute, said it is continuing to work with automakers on finding ways to incorporate advanced high-strength steels into automobiles.
"The mass reduction and overall value delivered with these advanced steel grades are why they are the fastest growing class of automotive material,” said Steel Market Development Institute president Lawrence W. Kavanagh in a statement.
You can find the report here. You can also read more about it here, here and here.
The report said that while the vehicle fleet is likely to fall short of the 54.5 mpg goal due to consumer preferences for trucks and SUVs, automakers have technologies available to them now that will help them make more progress.
“There are many vehicles – from many manufacturers – meeting future standards several years ahead of schedule. In fact, there are over 100 car, SUV and pick-up truck versions on the market today that already meet 2020 or later standards,” officials from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement.
The report said vehicle light-weighting will continue to figure into the effort. And, it said, mass reduction will likely be less costly than it is today.
“Advancements expected include the development of lower cost high-strength steel alloys for body structures (third-generation steels),” it said.
In a statement, the Steel Market Development Institute, a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute, said it is continuing to work with automakers on finding ways to incorporate advanced high-strength steels into automobiles.
"The mass reduction and overall value delivered with these advanced steel grades are why they are the fastest growing class of automotive material,” said Steel Market Development Institute president Lawrence W. Kavanagh in a statement.
You can find the report here. You can also read more about it here, here and here.
