Table 4-23: Average Fuel Efficiency of U.S. Passenger Cars and Light Trucks
Table 4-23: 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 | 2005 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average U.S. passenger car fuel efficiency (mpg) (calendar year) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Passenger cara | 16.0 | 17.5 | 20.3 | 21.2 | 21.0 | 20.6 | 20.8 | 21.1 | 21.2 | 21.5 | 21.6 | 21.4 | 21.9 | 22.1 | 22.0 | 22.2 | (R) 22.5 | 22.9 | 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 | 17.0 | 17.4 | 17.6 | 17.5 | 16.2 | 16.2 | 16.2 | U |
| New vehicle fuel efficiency (mpg)b (model year) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Light-duty vehicle | |||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | 28.8 | 29.0 | 29.5 | 29.1 | 30.0 | U |
| Domestic | 22.6 | 26.3 | 26.9 | 27.3 | 27.0 | 27.8 | 27.5 | 27.7 | 28.1 | 27.8 | 28.6 | 28.0 | 28.7 | 28.7 | 29.1 | 29.1 | 29.3 | 30.0 | U |
| Imported | 29.6 | 31.5 | 29.9 | 30.1 | 29.2 | 29.6 | 29.7 | 30.3 | 29.6 | 30.1 | 29.2 | 29.0 | 28.3 | 29.0 | 28.8 | 29.9 | 28.7 | 29.9 | U |
| Light truck (<8,500 lbs GVWR)c | 18.5 | 20.7 | 20.8 | 21.3 | 20.8 | 21.0 | 20.8 | 20.5 | 20.8 | 20.6 | 21.0 | 20.9 | 21.3 | 20.9 | 21.4 | 21.8 | 21.5 | 21.8 | U |
| 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 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 |
| Light truck | d16.0/14.0 | 19.5 | 20.0 | 20.2 | 20.2 | 20.4 | 20.5 | 20.6 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 21.0 | 21.6 |
KEY: CAFE = Corporate Average Fuel Economy; GVWR = gross vehicle weight rating; mpg = miles per gallon; 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 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.
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).
1995-2005: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
New vehicle fuel efficiency (based on model year production) and CAFE standards:
1980-2006: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Summary of Fuel Economy Performance (Washington, DC: 2005), Internet site http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/DOT/NHTSA/Vehicle%20Safety/Articles/Associated%20Files/SummaryFuelEconomyPerformance-2005.pdf as of Dec. 20, 2006.