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In 1970, Congress set the first fuel economy standards program for passenger cars, on a schedule concluding in 1985, and the standard for cars has not been increased since that time from its current level of 27.5 mpg. The Secretary of Transportation was also required to set the "maximum feasible" fuel economy standard for new light trucks (pickups, vans and SUVs), which is now at 20.7 mpg. Public Citizen calls on Congress to pass legislation that would meaningfully increase fuel economy, close the "light-truck loophole" (a longstanding defect in the statute which allows fuel economy for passenger cars and light trucks to be calculated separately, thereby distorting manufacturer incentives to produce more efficient vehicles), and improve vehicle safety at the same time by enacting rollover crashworthiness and vehicle compatibility standards.
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