Table 4-23M: Average Fuel Efficiency of U.S. Passenger Cars and Light Trucks
Table 4-23M: Average Fuel Efficiency of U.S. Passenger Cars and Light Trucks
| 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average U.S. passenger car fuel efficiency (kmpl) (calendar year) | |||||||||||||||||
| Passenger cara | 6.8 | 7.4 | 8.6 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.5 | U |
| Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle | 5.2 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7.5 | U |
| New vehicle fuel efficiency (kmpl)b (model year) | |||||||||||||||||
| Light-duty vehicle | |||||||||||||||||
| Passenger car | 10.3 | 11.7 | 11.9 | 12.1 | 11.9 | 12.1 | 12.0 | 12.2 | 12.1 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.0 | 12.1 | 12.2 | 12.3 | 12.5 | 12.5 |
| Domestic | 9.6 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 11.6 | 11.5 | 11.8 | 11.7 | 11.8 | 11.9 | 11.8 | 12.2 | 11.9 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.4 | 12.3 | 12.5 |
| Imported | 12.6 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 12.8 | 12.4 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.9 | 12.6 | 12.8 | 12.4 | 12.3 | 12.0 | (R) 12.3 | 12.2 | 12.7 | 12.5 |
| Light truck (<8,500 lbs GVWR)c | 7.9 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 9.1 | 8.9 | 9.1 | 9.2 | 9.1 |
| CAFE standards (kmpl)b (model year) | |||||||||||||||||
| Passenger car | 8.5 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 |
| Light truck | d6.8 / 6.0 | 8.3 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.8 |
KEY: CAFE = Corporate Average Fuel Economy; GVWR = gross vehicle weight rating; kmpl = kilometers per liter; R = revised.
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. These data were then converted to metric units.
c Beginning with FY 1999, the total light truck fleet ceased to be categorized by either domestic or import fleets.
d 2 Wheel Drive/4 Wheel Drive. No combined figure available for this year.
NOTES
The fuel efficiency figures for light duty vehicles represent the sales-weighted harmonic average of the combined passenger car and light truck fuel economies.
1.609344 kilometers = 1 mile.
3.785412 liters = 1 gallon.
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).
1995-2003: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
New vehicle fuel efficiency (based on model year production) and CAFE standards:
1980-2004: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Summary of Fuel Economy Performance (Washington, DC: 2004), Internet site http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/CAFE/docs/Summary-Fuel-Economy-Pref-2004.pdf as of Dec. 14, 2004.