Table 4-23M. Average Fuel Efficiency of U.S. Passenger Cars, Light Trucks, and Light-Duty Vehicles
Table 4-23M. Average Fuel Efficiency of U.S. Passenger Cars, Light Trucks, and Light-Duty Vehicles
| 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average U.S. passenger car fuele fficiency (kpl) (calendar year)R | ||||||||
| Passenger car | 6.8 | 7.4 | 8.6 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.1 | U |
| Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle | 5.2 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | U |
| New vehicle fuel efficiency (kpl)a (model year)R | ||||||||
| Light-duty vehicle (passenger cars plus light trucks) | ||||||||
| Domestic | 9.1 | 10.2 | 10.2 | 10.1 | 10.2 | 9.9 | 9.9 | 10.1 |
| Imported | 12.2 | 12.9 | 12.1 | 11.9 | 11.8 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.4 |
| Passenger car | ||||||||
| Domestic | 9.6 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 11.8 | 12.0 | 11.8 | 11.9 | 12.0 |
| Imported | 12.6 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 12.9 | 12.6 | 12.8 | 12.7 | 12.1 |
| Light truck (<3,865 lbs GVWR) | ||||||||
| Domestic | 7.1 | 8.3 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 8.7 |
| Imported | 10.3 | 11.3 | 9.8 | 9.1 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 9.6 |
| CAFE standards (kpl)a (model year)R | ||||||||
| Passenger car | 8.5 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 |
| Light truck | 6.8/6.0b | 8.3 | 8.5 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.8 |
a Assumes 55% city and 45% highway-kilometers. The source calculated average kilometers per liter for light-duty vehicles by
taking the reciprocal of the sales-weighted average of liters per kilometer. This is called the harmonic average.
b 2 Wheel Drive/4 Wheel Drive. No combined figure available for this year.
KEY: CAFE = Corporate Average Fuel Economy; GVWR = gross vehicle weight rating; kpl = kilometers per liter; R = revised; U = data are unavailable.
NOTE: The fuel efficiency figures for light duty vehicles represent the sales-weighted harmonic average of the combined passenger car and light truck fuel economies.
SOURCES:
Average U.S. passenger car fuel efficiency:
1980-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997), table VM-201A. 1995-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
New vehicle fuel efficiency (based on model year production):
1980-99: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, final fuel economy calculations for the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as cited in Internet site www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/fuelecon/index.html. 1991-99: Manufacturer's preliminary estimates for the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as cited in Internet site www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/fuelecon/index.html.
CAFE standards:
1980-99: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as cited in Internet site www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/fuelecon/index.html