( CNN ) -- The statement : . `` We have doubled the distance our cars will go on a gallon of gas ... `` That was part of President Barack Obama 's appeal to continue pushing for new energy technologies during Tuesday night 's State of the Union address , a line in which he also praised the expansion of renewable energy technologies like wind and solar electricity . There are more high-mileage gasoline and hybrid-electric vehicles on the road . And automakers certainly have come a long way since the days when hulking , high-powered Detroit steel could pass anything but a filling station . But doubled ? CNN thought that claim was worthy of a road test . The facts : . There are some impressively efficient vehicles in production these days . The Ford C-Max and Toyota Prius plug-in hybrids get a combined city-and-highway rating of 58 miles per gallon from the Environmental Protection Agency . An electric Honda Fit gets the equivalent of 118 mpg . More fact checks : Immigration | Obamacare | Wind energy . And back in August , the Obama administration issued new rules that would push automakers to make their entire fleets get comparable numbers . That regulation nearly doubles the mileage requirement for manufacturers , making them boost their corporate average fuel economy ( CAFE ) from the current standard of 29.7 mpg for cars and light trucks to 54.5 mpg . But the automakers have until the 2025 model year to hit that goal . And while the average car made today is more of a gas-sipper than a guzzler , 54.5 is still a long way off : The average fuel economy of passenger vehicles sold in the United States averaged 33.8 mpg as of October , up from 24.7 in 2002 and 27.1 in 2008 . And the new rules have an escape hatch : If the industry has problems meeting the new standards , there 's a review process that could reduce the target . Conclusion : . The Obama administration has told automakers to double their average mileage . That part 's true . In terms of actual numbers , auto mileage is up , but most drivers still have a way to go before they can cut their fuel bills in half . As with a lot of things said in Washington , your mileage may vary .
Obama also issued new rules that would push manufacturers to make cars more fuel efficient . Automakers have until 2025 next year to hit market .