New Study Reveals Americans Favor Tougher Fuel Standards for Big Savings

You know how we all love saving money at the pump, right? Well, get this—a new study just dropped and it's showing that a lot of Americans, no matter where they stand politically, are really into tougher emissions and fuel economy standards. Why? Because it saves us money—big bucks over the lifetime of a vehicle.

Now, there's a bit of a twist. With the current administration thinking about rolling back fuel economy standards to what they were back in 2019, we could see a lot of that sweet fuel savings just evaporate. That’s not just pocket change we're talking about; it’s potentially thousands of dollars more spent on gas over the life of a car.

According to the folks at Consumer Reports, about 64% of us think the government should keep cranking up those fuel economy standards. Only a small fraction, 17%, aren’t on board. And guess what? This isn't just about politics. People from both sides agree that carmakers really should be pushing the envelope on gas mileage.

But here’s the kicker—while we think automakers should be doing more about fuel costs, very few of us—like, only 5%—actually think they’re doing their part. Most folks reckon car manufacturers could be doing a lot more to keep our wallets full.

Now, let’s talk about what really hits home—our cars' fuel economy. A whopping 36% of drivers think their car could be doing better in this department. That tops the list of car concerns, even more than the price they paid for their ride. And this isn’t new; for nearly a decade, fuel economy has been the champ of “needs improvement” in Consumer Reports studies.

Here’s where it gets really interesting. Since 2001, tougher fuel standards have already saved drivers over $9,000 in fuel costs for the average new car. And in just the past three years? A cool $2,200 of those savings. These tougher standards are not just about saving the planet; they're about pushing for new tech like better engines, hybrid systems, and generally more awesome cars.

Looking ahead, the savings were expected to jump even higher—up to an extra $6,000 in savings, which would bring the grand total to over $15,000 compared to cars built around 2000. But if the proposed rollbacks to 2019 levels happen, poof! There goes that $6,000. And we're not just losing future savings; another $2,700 of savings that we've already seen could be wiped out, too. That means a new car in 2029 could end up costing you nearly $8,000 more in fuel over its lifetime.

And while there’s talk that rolling back these standards might make new cars cheaper, Consumer Reports isn't seeing any real proof of that. From 2003 to 2021, they didn’t find any significant upticks in the average price of cars when you adjust for inflation. So, cars have been getting safer, better to drive, and 30% more fuel-efficient without costing us more.

So, if you're into saving money—and who isn't?—keeping tougher fuel economy standards might just be the way to go. After all, who wants to spend extra on gas if they don't have to?