President Obama’s plan to double fuel-efficiency standards for cars and light-duty trucks by 2025 received applause from environmentalists who had pressed for such action.

Obama called his agreement with 13 major automakers to hike the standard to 54.5 miles per gallon the “single most important step we’ve ever taken as a nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.” In making the announcement Friday in Washington, he was supported by representatives from Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar/Land Rover, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota and Volvo as well as the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the state of California, who helped develop the accord.

Cheering the news is Go60MPG, a joint effort of Environment America, the National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Safe Climate Campaign, the Sierra Club and the Union of Concerned Scientists.

“Today’s announcement is a critical step forward to save consumers money at the gas pump, clean up our air and cut America’s oil dependence,” the coalition said in a statement.

Roland Hwang, NRDC’s transportation program director, said the standard can be met by using well-known technologies such as better engines, lower-cost hybrids and electric cars.

“Drivers can expect a greater range of choices in fuel-efficient offerings without sacrificing performance while saving over $3,000 over the life of their vehicles,” he wrote in a blog post. “Based on our joint analysis with UAW, this standard has the potential by 2021 to produce up to 150,000 new auto jobs.”