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Table 4-23: Average Fuel Efficiency of U.S. Passenger Cars and Light Trucks

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Table 4-23: Average Fuel Efficiency of U.S. Passenger Cars and Light Trucks

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  1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Average U.S. passenger car fuel efficiency (mpg) (calendar year)                          
Passenger cara R16.0 R17.5 R20.3 R21.2 21.0 R20.6 R20.8 21.1 21.2 21.5 21.6 21.4 U
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle 12.2 14.3 16.1 17.0 17.3 17.4 17.3 17.3 17.2 17.2 17.2 17.1 U
New vehicle fuel efficiency (mpg)b (model year)                          
Light-duty vehicle (passenger cars plus light trucks)                          
Domestic 21.4 24.0 23.9 24.4 R23.8 R24.2 R23.5 23.8 24.1 23.3 23.3 dN dN
Imported 28.6 30.3 28.5 28.4 27.9 28.1 R27.8 27.9 27.7 27.5 27.6 dN dN
Passenger car 24.3 27.6 28.0 28.4 27.9 28.4 28.3 28.6 28.5 28.7 28.8 28.3 28.5
Domestic 22.6 26.3 26.9 27.3 27.0 27.8 27.5 27.7 R28.1 27.8 R28.6 R28.0 28.5
Imported 29.6 31.5 29.9 30.1 29.2 29.6 R29.7 30.3 R29.6 30.1 R29.2 R29.0 28.3
Light truck (<8,500 lbs GVWR) 18.5 20.7 20.8 21.3 20.8 21.0 20.8 20.5 20.8 20.6 21.1 20.9 21.2
Domestic 16.8 19.6 20.3 20.9 20.5 20.7 20.5 20.3 20.5 20.2 20.5 dN dN
Imported 24.3 26.5 23.0 23.0 22.7 22.8 R22.0 21.5 22.2 22.1 22.9 dN dN
CAFE standards (mpg)b (model year)                          
Passenger car 20.0 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5
Light truck c16.0/14.0 19.5 20.0 20.2 20.2 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 20.7 20.7 20.7 20.7

KEY: CAFE = Corporate Average Fuel Economy; GVWR = gross vehicle weight rating; mpg = miles per gallon; N = data do not exist; R = revised; U = data are not available.

a From 1980 to 1994, passenger car fuel efficiency includes motorcycles.

b Assumes 55% city and 45% highway-miles. The source calculated average miles per gallon for light-duty vehicles by taking the reciprocal of the sales-weighted average of gallons per mile. This is called the harmonic average.

c 2 Wheel Drive/4 Wheel Drive. No combined figure available for this year.

d Beginning with MY 1999, the total light truck fleet ceased to be categorized by either domestic or import fleets.

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 (Revised data obtained from Internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/ohimstat.htm as of Aug. 2, 2001).

1995-99: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.

New vehicle fuel efficiency (based on model year production):

1980-2000: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Automotive Fuel Economy Program, Annual Update Calendar Year 2000, table II-6, Internet site www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/studies/fuelecon/index.html as of Aug. 9, 2001.

CAFE standards:

1980-2000: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Automotive Fuel Economy Program, Annual Update Calendar Year 2000, table I-1, Internet site www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/studies/fuelecon/index.html as of Aug. 9, 2001.