EPA proposes 55-mpg standard for cars

Environmental advocates say federal efforts to make cars go farther on less gas will save the average Pennsylvania family $200 a year.

Last summer, a coalition of environmental groups called for a fuel-efficiency standard that would require vehicles to get 62 miles per gallon.

They’ve been walked back a bit from that number.

The Obama administration has proposed a standard of about 55 mpg.

Charlie Furman, with PennEnvironment, is touting a study showing such a standard would cut air pollution and result in fuel savings.

“You’d be driving farther on each gallon of gas that you end up buying,” Furman said. “And, in Pennsylvania, that would actually mean saving roughly $991 million across the entire state per year by 2030, which comes out to about $200 per family.”

Advocates for auto manufacturers warn that setting higher mileage standards could make cars so expensive the extra cost offsets any fuel savings.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency plans to hold a public hearing on the proposed standards in Philadelphia Jan. 19.

If approved, they would go into effect for cars made between 2017 and 2025.