Some handy fuel savings are just around the corner for companies planning to purchase new vehicles once they’ve recovered from the recession.

Companies and consumers alike are expected to save $3,000 in reduced fuel purchases over the life of each new vehicle purchased. And, just for buying a new car, you’ll be helping reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the main greenhouse gas (GHG) that’s blamed for causing climate change.

This is the green spin EPA and the Department of Transportation are putting on a joint federal regulation that would, for the first time, establish a GHG emission standard for new light-duty vehicles. This standard would be nationwide and echoes the GHG emission standard California and several states are concurrently adopting. All in all, there will be one standard.

It’s a modest gain, and the full $3,000 savings doesn’t kick in until model year 2016 when the regulation is fully phased in. That’s when all light-duty vehicles in America will have to reach at least 35.5 miles per gallon.

Add a few three-grands together, and a company with a small fleet of vehicles gets a big money-saving bonus just for buying a new vehicle.

The environment wins under the proposed standard (250 grams of CO2 per mile) because this should reduce overall GHG releases by 950 million metric tons.

And, the U.S. will cut its use of oil by 1.8 billion barrels.

To file comments on the EPA rule, click here.

To file with DOT, click here.

Tags: climate change, CO2 emissions, fuel standards, GHG emissions