Table 5-5: Average Fuel Efficiency of U.S. Passenger Cars and Light Trucks, Various Years
Miles per gallon
| Calendar Year | Average U.S. passenger car fuel efficiency | New vehicle fuel efficiency (model year) | CAFE standards (model year) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light duty vehicle, short wheel base | Light duty vehicle, long wheel base | Passenger car | Domestic passenger car | Imported passenger car | Light truck (<8,500 lbs GVWR) | Passenger car | Light truck | |
| 1990 | 20.3 | 16.1 | 24.3 | 26.9 | 29.9 | 20.8 | 27.5 | 20.2 |
| 2000 | 21.9 | 17.4 | 28.5 | 28.7 | 28.3 | 21.3 | 27.5 | 20.7 |
| 2005 | 22.1 | 17.7 | 30.3 | 30.5 | 29.9 | 22.1 | 27.5 | 21.0 |
| 2006 | 22.5 | 17.8 | 30.1 | 30.3 | 29.7 | 22.5 | 27.5 | 21.6 |
| 2007 | 22.9 | 17.1 | 31.2 | 30.6 | 32.2 | 23.1 | 27.5 | 22.2 |
| 2008 | 23.7 | 17.3 | 31.5 | 31.2 | 31.8 | 23.6 | 27.5 | 22.5 |
| 2009 | 23.5 | 17.3 | 32.9 | 32.1 | 33.8 | 24.8 | 27.5 | 23.1 |
| 2010 | 23.5 | 17.2 | 33.9 | 33.1 | 35.2 | 25.2 | 27.5 | 23.5 |
| 2011 | U | U | 33.8 | 32.5 | 35.3 | 24.5 | 30.2 | 24.2 |
| 2012 | U | U | 35.6 | 34.4 | 37.5 | 25.0 | 32.8 | 25.2 |
KEY: CAFE = Corporate Average Fuel Economy; GVWR = Gross vehicle weight rating; U = data are unavailable.
NOTES: New vehicle fuel efficiency and CAFE standards assume 55% city and 45% highway-miles. The fuel efficiency figures for light duty vehicles represent the sales-weighted harmonic average of the combined passenger car and light truck fuel economies.
Beginning with model year 2008, Light truck manufacturers have the option to comply with the unreformed standard values or the new reformed standard values based upon each manufacturer unique vehicle fleet characteristics. In model years 2008-2010, the values shown for CAFE standards for Light truck are the standard values applicable under the existing "unreformed" CAFE program.
Average U.S. passenger car fuel efficiency (calendar year) data for 2007-09 are based on a new FHWA methodology and are not comparable to previous years in this table. The vehicle categories also only apply to 2007-09; Light duty vehicle, short wheel base replaces Passenger car and Light duty vehicle, long wheel base replaces Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle for previous years.
SOURCES: Average U.S. passenger car fuel efficiency: Federal Highway Administration; New vehicle fuel efficiency (based on model year production) and CAFE standards: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as cited in U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 4-23, available at https://www.bts.gov/archive_publications as of January 2013.