---
title: "Drive Wire for September 23rd, 2016: Carmakers Ramp Up Battle Over Future Fuel Economy Standards"
description: "Reaching 54.5 mpg by 2025 is starting to seem increasingly difficult."
date: "2016-09-23"
modified: "2016-09-23"
authors:
  - name: "The Drive Staff"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/the-drive-staff"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/article/5299/drive-wire-for-september-23rd-2016-carmakers-ramp-up-battle-over-future-fuel-economy-standards"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "fuel economy"
---

# Drive Wire for September 23rd, 2016: Carmakers Ramp Up Battle Over Future Fuel Economy Standards

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/archive-images/gettyimages-583811634_0.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Today on Drive Wire, *The Drive* discusses the news that automakers are growing noisier in their protests against [the federal government's plan to raise corporate average fuel economy to 54.5 miles per gallon](<https://www.autonews.com/article/20160921/OEM11/160929935/automakers-raise-concerns-over-obama-administration-fuel-rules>) by 2025. In prepared testimony before the House of Representatives's Energy and Commerce Committee, Mitch Bainwol, head of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, stated that the current goal was unrealistic, given consumers' preference for trucks and SUVs over electric vehicles and fuel-efficient cars. Where does the industry expect fuel economy standards to land a decade from now? Check out the video above to find out.

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