| | |  Business News 
Mexico Energy Ministry To Establish Fuel Economy Standards
 Laurence Iliff - Dow Jones Newswires
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January 06, 2010
 |  | The goal of the new rules is to accelerate the adoption and implementation of technology and best practices in design.
- Mexico Energy Ministry |  | | |
Mexico City - Mexico's Energy Ministry said Tuesday it will establish minimum fuel economy standards for new cars and heavy trucks, along with tougher rules to import used cars from the U.S., as part of an energy savings plan.
The ministry's National Commission for the Efficient Use of Energy will develop the new rules and publish them shortly, the ministry said in a statement.
As part of a 2009-2012 sustainable energy plan approved in November, the transport portion will set the fuel economy minimums based on categories - "light" and "medium" for cars, and "heavy" for trucks.
The goal of the new rules is to "accelerate the adoption and implementation of technology and best practices in design...in order to progressively increase the average national fuel economy," the ministry said.
Other countries, like the U.S., have long mandated minimum average fuel economy standards per manufacturer based on weighted sales rather than auto categories.
Since Mexico's rules haven't been finalized, a spokeswoman said the ministry had no additional details on how the minimum levels would be structured.
The new rules will discourage imports of fuel-thirsty used cars from the U.S. while respecting the North American Free Trade Agreement, the ministry said, adding that they will incorporate "mechanical requirements and/or emissions limits."
Authorities will also set separate limits on fuel economy for vehicles used by the federal government.
As a result of the transport plan, the ministry expects to save the energy equivalent of nine terawatt hours worth of energy by 2012 and 2,736 terawatt hours by 2030. A terawatt is equal to 1 trillion watts.
Mexico has 21.4 million vehicles, 95% using gasoline, 4% with diesel engines, and 1% that use alternative fuels, the statement said.
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