Obama Administration moves to boost fuel efficiency standards on heavy-duty vehicles

The Obama Administration wants to boost fuel efficiency of medium- and heavy-duty trucks for models made in 2019 and later.

Obama directed the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen standards first issued three years ago aimed at increasing fuel efficiency by up to 20% by 2018.

The new standards are expected to force the industry to deploy technology more aggressively.

Besides engine and transmission improvements, firms with truck fleets may have to adopt more aerodynamic trailers, adding skirts at the bottom or tails on the end to reduce wind resistance.

(http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-02-18/obama-sets-timetable-for-new-truck-fuel-efficiency-rules)