The Environmental Protection Agency opened a 30-day public comment period October 1 on a request by Mercedes-Benz to use alternate emissions demonstration methodology for vehicles made between model years 2012 and 2016. In 2010, the agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a joint standard of a fleet wide average of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. The automobile company asked the agency to approve the methodology, which includes engine start-stop technologies, infrared glazing, and high-efficiency exterior lighting.