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why one of the best ways to make our economy less dependent on oil and save folks more money is to make our
transportation sector more efficient.
Now, we went through 30 years where we didn’t raise fuel efficiency standards on cars. And part of
what happened in the U.S. auto industry was because oil appeared relatively cheap, the U.S. auto industry
decided we’re just going to make our money on SUVs, and we’re not going to worry about fuel efficiency.
Thirty years of lost time when it comes to technology that could improve the efficiency of cars. So last year, we
established a groundbreaking national fuel efficiency standard for cars and trucks. We did this last year without
legislation. We just got all the parties together and we got them to agree — automakers, autoworkers,
environmental groups, industry. So that means our cars will be getting better gas mileage, saving 1.8 billion
barrels of oil over the life of the program — 1.8 billion. Our consumers will save money from fewer trips to the
pump – $3,000 on average over time you will save because of these higher fuel efficiency standards. And our
automakers will build more innovative products. Right now, there are even cars rolling off the assembly lines in
Detroit with combustion engines — I’m not talking about hybrids — combustion engines that get more than 50
miles per gallon. So we know how to do it. We know how to make our cars more efficient. But going forward,
we’re going to continue to work with the automakers, with the autoworkers, with states, to ensure the high-
quality, fuel-efficient cars and trucks of tomorrow are built right here in the United States of America. That’s
going to be a top priority for us. (Applause.)
This summer, we’re going to propose the first-ever fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks. And
this fall, we’ll announce the next round of fuel standards for cars that builds on what we’ve already done. And by
the way, the federal government is going to need to lead by example. The fleet of cars and trucks we use in the
federal government is one of the largest in the country. We’ve got a lot of cars. And that’s why we’ve already
doubled the number of alternative vehicles in the federal fleet. And that’s why today I am directing agencies to
purchase 100 percent alternative fuel, hybrid, or electric vehicles by 2015. All of them should be alternative fuel.
(Applause.) Going forward, we’ll partner with private companies that want to upgrade their large fleets. And this
means, by the way, that you students, as consumers or future consumers of cars, you’ve got to make sure that
you are boosting demand for alternative vehicles. You’re going to have a responsibility as well, because if
alternative-fuel vehicles are manufactured but you guys aren’t buying them, then folks will keep on making cars
that don’t have the same fuel efficiency. So you’ve got power in this process, and the decisions you make
individually in your lives will say something about how serious we are when it comes to energy independence.
We’ve also made historic investments in high-speed rail and mass transit, because part of making our
transportation sector cleaner and more efficient involves offering all Americans, whether they are urban,
suburban, or rural, the choice to be mobile without having to get in a car and pay for gas. Still, there are few
breakthroughs as promising for increasing fuel efficiency and reducing our dependence on oil as electric
vehicles. Soon after I took office, I set a goal of having one million electric vehicles on our roads by 2015.
We’ve created incentives for American companies to develop these vehicles, and for Americans who want them
to buy them. So new manufacturing plants are opening over the next few years. And a modest $2 billion
investment in competitive grants for companies to develop the next generation of batteries for these cars has
jumpstarted a big new American industry. Pretty soon, America will be home to 40 percent of global
manufacturing capacity for these advanced batteries. And for those of you who are wondering what that means,
the thing that’s been holding back electric vehicles is the battery that stores that electricity, that energy. And the
more efficient, the more lightweight we can make those batteries, the easier it is to manufacture those cars at a
competitive price. And if we can have that industry here in the United States of America, that means jobs. If
those batteries are made here, the cars are made here. Those cars are made here, we’re putting Americans back to
work.
Now, to make sure we stay on this goal we’re going to need to do more – by offering more powerful
incentives to consumers, and by rewarding the communities that pave the way for the adoption of these vehicles.
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