The UAW strongly supports the proposals detailed in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) issued today by the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency for a national program for light-duty vehicle fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions standards.

"This proposal represents a historic step forward for the U.S. automobile industry," said UAW President Bob King. "It will provide certainty for the manufacturers, significant savings at the gas pump for consumers, and it will create tens of thousands of jobs engineering and producing the technology needed to make vehicles more efficient."

King added that, "The Obama administration deserves tremendous credit for including stakeholders in the development of the proposal. The regulatory process of public comments and field hearings will make the proposals stronger and more robust, and the UAW is committed to supporting the proposals during the next phase of rulemaking."

A 2010 study by the UAW and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), "Driving Growth," found that improving light-duty vehicle efficiency to 40 mpg by 2020 could create up to 190,000 jobs in the United States. A 2011 study by the UAW, NRDC and the National Wildlife Federation found that there are currently over 500 facilities in the United States employing more than 150,000 people engaged in some aspect of developing or producing fuel-efficient vehicles or their key components.  

"We believe that this sets the stage for a green-based revival of the U.S. auto industry," said King. "By delivering the efficient vehicles customers want, we will become more competitive, and that is ultimately what leads to a brighter future for everyone in our industry."