US President Barack Obama has ordered officials to start setting new fuel efficiency standards for medium and heavy trucks, wielding his executive power in the fight against climate change.
Such vehicles account for just four per cent of traffic yet make up 25 per cent of fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions in road transportation, the White House said.
Obama says that introducing new fuel standards, as he has already done for cars and light trucks, creates American jobs in innovation, saves drivers money and is good for the economy and the environment.
"We're creating jobs. We're generating more clean energy. We're cutting our dependence on foreign oil," Obama said at a supermarket distribution centre outside Washington.
Obama directed the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue new medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fuel efficiency standards by March 31, 2016.
