Table 4-23M: Average Fuel Efficiency of U.S. Light Duty Vehicles
| 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | (R) 2010 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average U.S. passenger car fuel efficiency (kmpl) (calendar year) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light duty vehicle, short wheel basea,b | 6.8 | 7.4 | 8.6 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 10.1 | 10.1 | U | U |
| Light duty vehicle, long wheel basea | 5.2 | 6.1 | 6.9 | 7.2 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.4 | U | U |
| New vehicle fuel efficiency (kmpl)c (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 | 13.4 | 14.0 | 14.4 | 14.4 |
| 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 | 13.3 | 13.6 | 14.1 | 13.8 |
| 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 | 13.5 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Light truck (<8,500 lbs GVWR)d | 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 | 10.5 | 10.7 | 10.4 |
| 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 | 11.7 | 12.8 |
| Light trucke | 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 | 10.0 | 10.3 |
KEY: CAFE = Corporate Average Fuel Economy; GVWR = gross vehicle weight rating; kmpl = kilometers per liter; R = revised; U = data are not available.
a 1960-2006 data are for Passenger car and Other 2-axle, 4-tire vehicles, respectively. The data from 1960-2006 are not comparable to the data from 2007-09.
b From 1980 to 1994, Light duty vehicle, short wheel base (previously Passenger car) fuel efficiency includes motorcycles.
c 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.
d Beginning with FY 1999, the total Light truck fleet ceased to be categorized by either domestic or import fleets.
e 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
Data for 2007-09 were calculated using a new methodology developed by FHWA. Data for these years are based on new categories and are not comparable to previous years. The new category Light duty vehicle, short wheel base includes passenger cars, light trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles with a wheelbase (WB) equal to or less than 121 inches. The new category Light duty vehicle, long wheel base includes large passenger cars, vans, pickup trucks, and sport/utility vehicles with wheelbases (WB) larger than 121 inches.
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/policyinformation/statistics.cfm as of Apr. 20, 2011.
1995-2009: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics.cfm as of Oct. 5, 2011.
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/fuel-economy as of Dec. 19, 2011.