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

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Table 4-23M: 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 (kmpl) (calendar year)
Passenger car^a	^R6.8	^R7.4	^R8.6	^R9.0	8.9	^R8.8	^R8.8	9.0	9.0	9.1	9.2	9.1	U
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle	5.2	6.1	6.8	7.2	7.4	7.4	7.4	7.4	7.3	7.3	7.3	7.3	U
New vehicle fuel efficiency (kmpl)^b (model year)
Light-duty vehicle (passenger cars plus light trucks)
Domestic	9.1	10.2	10.2	10.4	^R10.1	^R10.3	^R10.0	10.1	10.2	9.9	9.9	^dN	^dN
Imported	12.2	12.9	12.1	12.1	11.9	11.9	^R11.8	11.9	11.8	11.7	11.7	^dN	^dN
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
Domestic	9.6	11.2	11.4	11.6	11.5	11.8	11.7	11.8	^R11.9	11.8	^R12.2	^R11.9	12.1
Imported	12.6	13.4	12.7	12.8	12.4	12.6	^R12.6	12.9	^R12.6	12.8	^R12.4	^R12.3	12.0
Light truck (<8,500 lbs GVWR)	7.9	8.8	8.8	9.1	8.8	8.9	8.8	8.7	8.8	8.8	9.0	8.9	9.0
Domestic	7.1	8.3	8.6	8.9	8.7	8.8	8.7	8.6	8.7	8.6	8.7	^dN	^dN
Imported	10.3	11.3	9.8	9.8	9.7	9.7	^R9.4	9.1	9.4	9.4	9.7	^dN	^dN
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
Light truck	^c6.8/6.0	8.3	8.5	8.6	8.6	8.7	8.7	8.8	8.8	8.8	8.8	8.8	8.8

KEY: CAFE = Corporate Average Fuel Economy; GVWR = gross vehicle weight rating; kmpl = kilometers per liter; 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-kilometers. The source calculated average kilometers per liter for light-duty vehicles by taking the reciprocal of the sales-weighted average of liters per kilometer. 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.

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.

Numbers may differ slightly from previous year's metric tables because a higher precision conversion factor was used.

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.