BTS | Table 4-23: Average Fuel Efficiency of U.S. Passenger Cars and Light Trucks

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BTS Home > Publications > National Transportation Statistics > 2001

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
Average U.S. passenger car fuel efficiency (mpg) (calendar year)
Passenger car^a	^R16.0	^R17.5	^R20.3	^R21.2	21.0	^R20.6	^R20.8	21.1	21.2	21.5	21.6	21.4	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	17.1	U
New vehicle fuel efficiency (mpg)^b (model year)
Light-duty vehicle (passenger cars plus light trucks)
Domestic	21.4	24.0	23.9	24.4	^R23.8	^R24.2	^R23.5	23.8	24.1	23.3	23.3	^dN	^dN
Imported	28.6	30.3	28.5	28.4	27.9	28.1	^R27.8	27.9	27.7	27.5	27.6	^dN	^dN
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
Domestic	22.6	26.3	26.9	27.3	27.0	27.8	27.5	27.7	^R28.1	27.8	^R28.6	^R28.0	28.5
Imported	29.6	31.5	29.9	30.1	29.2	29.6	^R29.7	30.3	^R29.6	30.1	^R29.2	^R29.0	28.3
Light truck (<8,500 lbs GVWR)	18.5	20.7	20.8	21.3	20.8	21.0	20.8	20.5	20.8	20.6	21.1	20.9	21.2
Domestic	16.8	19.6	20.3	20.9	20.5	20.7	20.5	20.3	20.5	20.2	20.5	^dN	^dN
Imported	24.3	26.5	23.0	23.0	22.7	22.8	^R22.0	21.5	22.2	22.1	22.9	^dN	^dN
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
Light truck	^c16.0/14.0	19.5	20.0	20.2	20.2	20.4	20.5	20.6	20.7	20.7	20.7	20.7	20.7

KEY: CAFE = Corporate Average Fuel Economy; GVWR = gross vehicle weight rating; mpg = miles per gallon; N = data do not exist; 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 2 Wheel Drive/4 Wheel Drive. No combined figure available for this year.

^d Beginning with MY 1999, the total light truck fleet ceased to be categorized by either domestic or import fleets.

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).

1995-99: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.

New vehicle fuel efficiency (based on model year production):

1980-2000: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Automotive Fuel Economy Program, Annual Update Calendar Year 2000, table II-6, Internet site www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/studies/fuelecon/index.html as of Aug. 9, 2001.

CAFE standards:

1980-2000: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Automotive Fuel Economy Program, Annual Update Calendar Year 2000, table I-1, Internet site www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/studies/fuelecon/index.html as of Aug. 9, 2001.