U.S. Delays New Fuel Economy Rules

The Obama administration has postponed its self-imposed deadline of Aug. 15 for issuing final 2017-2025 fuel economy standards for light-duty vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tells Bloomberg News that the rules are undergoing interagency review and will be finalized soon.

The regulations are expected to require carmakers to nearly double the current fuel efficiency of their light vehicles to average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

Republican members of the House Oversight and Government Reform committee attacked the regulations late last week as biased toward domestic automakers. NHTSA Administrator Daryl Strickland defends the rules and the process used to set them.

The GOP panel also released thousands of notes and e-mails written by company and administration officials while the rules were being drafted last year. Strickland says sharp criticism from European and Japanese carmakers in those communications was part of the give and take of formulating complex standards.