Originally Posted by GreenCongress

Japan Proposes Tougher Fuel Economy Regulations; Passenger Car Fuel Economy to Increase 23.5% by 2015
15 December 2006

Nikkei. Automakers in Japan would be required to boost the fuel efficiency of their passenger cars by an average of 23.5% by fiscal 2015 under new regulatory proposals unveiled Friday by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in partnership with the Ministry of Transport. (Earlier post.)

Under the proposal, passenger car fuel efficiency will need to increase from an average 13.6 km/liter (7.35 l/100km or 32 mpg US) in 2004 to 16.8 km/liter (6 l/100km or 40 mpg US)—an increase of 23.5%.

For cars in the lowest weight class of 600kg or less, 2015 target consumption is 22.5 km/liter (4.4 l/100km or 53 mpg US); for cars in the top weight class of 2,271kg and above, 2015 target consumption is 7.4 km/liter (13.51 l/100km or 17.4 mpg US). . . ."