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 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average U.S. passenger car fuel efficiency (kmpl) (calendar year) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passenger cara | (R) 6.8 | (R) 7.4 | (R) 8.6 | (R) 9.0 | (R) 8.9 | (R) 8.8 | (R) 8.8 | (R) 9.0 | (R) 9.0 | 9.1 | (R) 9.2 | (R) 9.1 | (R) 9.3 | (R) 9.4 | (R) 9.3 | (R) 9.4 | (R) 9.6 | (R) 9.4 | (R) 9.6 | (R) 9.6 | 9.6 | U |
| Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle | (R) 5.2 | (R) 6.1 | (R) 6.9 | (R) 7.2 | (R) 7.3 | (R) 7.4 | (R) 7.4 | (R) 7.4 | (R) 7.3 | (R) 7.3 | (R) 7.3 | (R) 7.2 | (R) 7.4 | (R) 7.5 | (R) 7.4 | (R) 6.9 | (R) 6.9 | (R) 7.5 | (R) 7.6 | (R) 7.6 | 7.7 | 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 | 12.9 | 12.8 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.9 |
| 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 | 12.4 | 12.7 | 13.0 | 12.9 | 13.0 | 13.2 | 13.9 |
| 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 | 12.3 | 12.2 | 12.7 | 12.2 | 12.7 | 12.6 | 13.7 | 13.4 | 13.9 |
| 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 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 9.1 | 8.9 | 9.1 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 9.8 | 10.0 | 10.3 |
| 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 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 |
| Light truckd | U | 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 | 8.9 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 9.8 |
KEY: CAFE = Corporate Average Fuel Economy; GVWR = gross vehicle weight rating; kmpl = kilometers per liter; 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. 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 No combined figure is available for 1980. In 1980, CAFE standard for 2 wheel drive, and 4 wheel drive light trucks were 6.8, and 6.0 kmpl respectively.
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, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/ohimstat.htm as of Sept. 10, 2010.
1995-2008: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/index.cfm as of Sept. 10, 2010.
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.gov/ as of Sept. 10, 2010.