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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 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
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 22.5 22.1 (R) 22.5 22.5 U 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 17.7 (R) 17.8 18.0 U 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 29.5 30.3 30.1 31.2 31.2 32.6
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 29.9 30.5 30.3 30.6 31.0 32.6
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 29.7 (R) 32.2 (R) 31.5 32.6
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 22.1 22.5 23.1 (R) 23.6 24.2
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 27.5 27.5 27.5
Light truckd U 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 22.2 22.5 23.1

KEY: CAFE = Corporate Average Fuel Economy; GVWR = gross vehicle weight rating; mpg = miles per gallon; R = revised; U = data are unavailable.

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 No combined figure is available for 1980. In 1980, CAFE standard for 2 wheel drive, and 4 wheel drive light trucks were 16.0, and 14.0 mpg respectively.

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 http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/ohimstat.htm as of Aug. 2, 2001).
1995-2007: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
New vehicle fuel efficiency (based on model year production) and CAFE standards:
U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Summary of Fuel Economy Performance (Washington, DC: Annual issues), available at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.43ac99aefa80569eea57529cdba046a0/ as of December 21, 2009.