LaHood: 2025 fuel rules will be unveiled 'soon'

Washington - The Obama administration will soon announce final fuel economy rules that will hike requirements to 54.5 mpg by 2025.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Environmental Protection Agency this week abandoned a self-imposed deadline of finalizing the 2017-2025 rules by Wednesday, with one House Republican suggesting the administration was having second thoughts.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Friday in an interview the rules will be announced shortly.

He said the Obama administration is not backing away from what it considers one of its signature domestic achievements, but said it's unclear if it will be released next week.

"It's coming soon. We're working with the White House and the EPA to roll it out," LaHood said. "It's going to happen. … There's no backing away - it's just making sure everything's done correctly."

LaHood noted that hiking fuel economy regulations has been a priority since soon after President Barack Obama was sworn in Jan. 20, 2009. "The president is very proud of the work we've done," LaHood said.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, released a report last week that disclosed several foreign automakers complained about the fairness of the talks.

He called the delay of the rules "a victory for transparency and for consumer choice and safety." He asserted that "pursuing new standards that increase vehicle cost and decrease vehicle safety is dangerous for consumers and unacceptable from regulators."

LaHood defended the handling of the rules. "We've done it the right way and correctly, and we've done it with the support of the carmakers."

The higher Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards will cost the auto industry an estimated $157.3 billion to reach, but is intended to save consumers $1.7 trillion at the pump. The rules will add about $2,000 to the price of an average vehicle by 2025, the government forecasts.

Last summer, NHTSA the EPA and the California Air Resources Board held largely secret talks with automakers to reach a deal on the 2017-25 fuel rules.

Under the deal, the agencies agreed to lower increases for light trucks from 2017-21 of 3.5 percent and 5 percent annual increases for cars. They also agreed to a mid-term review to ensure that the final years of the program are feasible. California also agreed not to impose its own standards.

It's expected the final rule will largely conform to last year's agreement reached with 13 major automakers, including Detroit's Big Three, Toyota Motor Corp, Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. Among major automakers, only Volkswagen AG and Daimler AG refused to sign on.

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