Hasta La Gadget!

Toyota and Honda have new hybrid cars hitting the market any day now, and they can’t come a moment too soon. The Department of Transportation has just announced the first of several planned increases for U.S. fuel economy standards, according to CNNMoney.com. New vehicles sold in the 2011 model year will now have to average 27.3 miles per gallon, an increase of 2 mpg over the current standard. That breaks down as follows: new cars must average 30.2 mpg, while pickups and SUVs need to hit a 24.1 mpg average target.

Congress passed new laws in 2007 that will require the nation’s fleet of new vehicles to average 35 miles per gallon by the year 2020. The rules for 2011 mark the first step toward that new target. “These standards are important steps in the nation’s quest to achieve
energy independence and bring more fuel efficient vehicles to American
families,” said transportation secretary Ray LaHood in a statement.