In a set of proposed rules made public by the Bush administration on Tuesday, April 21 the White House clearly expects the automotive industry to take immediate and large strides toward the 40% increase in fuel economy mandated by Congress for 2020.

The administration wants to see an improvement of 25% during the 2011-15 model years, which, when calculated, amounts to an annual increase of 4.5%. This would mean that by 2015 cars would get, on average, 35.7 mpg with light trucks getting 28.6. In combination, that would be a 31.6 mpg average.

Mary Peters, Transportation Secretary, hosted an Earth Day announcement at the Department of Transportation research center in McClean, Virginia and termed the proposal as "an aggressive but achievable standard." The function included a tour of current fuel efficiency technology by seven automakers including Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, Honda, and the Detroit Big Three.

The proposal including the following set of progressive standards for cars and trucks respectively: 2008 - 27.5/22.5; 2011 - 31.2/25; 2012 - 32.8/26.4; 2013 - 34/27.8; 2014 - 34.8/28.2, and 2015 - 35.7/28.6

While automakers have little choice but to accept the higher level of standards set by Congress, there is considerable dispute about how the numbers will be achieved. Currently the industry is lobbying to maintain the ban on individual state rules governing greenhouse emissions. Removing the ban, they say, would create a fuel economy standards nightmare they could never fulfill.