A proposal by many citizen and environmental groups may come as welcome news for Minnesota drivers feeling the pinch at the pump during the heat of the summer travel season. The groups are encouraging the Obama administration to increase the fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks to as high as 60 miles per gallon by 2025.

The standard would reduce air pollution and fuel consumption, says Phyllis Cuttino, director of the Pew Clean Energy Program, adding that fewer trips to the gas station would also result in big savings for drivers.

"Any time you can get our cars and trucks to go farther on a gallon of gas, that's going to mean that consumers are really going to save money."

Giving automakers 14 years to hit a 60-mpg standard is certainly doable, says Cuttino, pointing out that they have already risen to previous fuel-efficiency challenges.

"They have got the technological know-how and the smarts to really create cars that can go farther on a tank of gas, and we have all confidence that American automakers can meet and exceed this standard."

An EPA-Department of Transportation analysis found that a 60-mpg standard would save vehicle owners an average of more than $6,000 during the life of a car - and save more than 1 billion barrels of oil. The agencies are expected to release a proposed joint rule to elevate fuel efficiency fleet-wide by the end of September.