Table 4-23. Average Fuel Efficiency of U.S. Passenger Cars and Light Trucks
Table 4-23. Average Fuel Efficiency of U.S. Passenger Cars and Light Trucks
| 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average U.S. passenger car fuel efficiency (mpg) (calendar year) | ||||||||||||
| Passenger car | 15.9 | 17.4 | 20.2 | 21.1 | 21.0 | 20.5 | 20.7 | 21.1 | 21.2 | 21.5 | R21.6 | 21.4 |
| 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 | R17.2 | 17.1 |
| New vehicle fuel efficiency (mpg)a (model year) | ||||||||||||
| Light-duty vehicle (passenger cars plus light trucks) | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | 21.4 | 24.0 | 23.9 | 24.4 | 23.9 | 24.3 | 23.7 | 23.8 | 24.1 | R23.3 | R23.3 | 23.7 |
| Imported | 28.6 | 30.3 | 28.5 | 28.4 | 27.9 | 28.1 | 27.7 | 27.9 | 27.7 | 27.5 | 27.6 | 26.9 |
| Passenger car | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | 22.6 | 26.3 | 26.9 | 27.3 | 27.0 | 27.8 | 27.5 | 27.7 | 28.3 | R27.8 | R28.1 | 28.2 |
| Imported | 29.6 | 31.5 | 29.9 | 30.1 | 29.2 | 29.6 | 29.6 | 30.3 | 29.7 | R30.1 | R30.0 | 28.4 |
| Light truck (<8,500 lbs GVWR) | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | 16.8 | 19.6 | 20.3 | 20.9 | 20.5 | 20.7 | 20.5 | 20.3 | 20.5 | R20.2 | 20.5 | 20.4 |
| Imported | 24.3 | 26.5 | 23.0 | 23.0 | 22.7 | 22.8 | 22.1 | 21.5 | 22.2 | 22.1 | 22.9 | 22.5 |
| CAFE standards (mpg)a (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 |
| Light truck | 16.0/14.0b | 19.5 | 20.0 | 20.2 | 20.2 | 20.4 | 20.5 | 20.6 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 20.7 |
a 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.
b 2 Wheel Drive/4 Wheel Drive. No combined figure available for this year.
KEY: CAFE = Corporate Average Fuel Economy; GVWR = gross vehicle weight rating; mpg = miles per gallon; R = revised; U = data are not available.
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.
1995-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
New vehicle fuel efficiency (based on model year production):
1980-90: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, final fuel economy calculations for the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as cited in Internet site www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/fuelecon/index.html.
1991-99: Manufacturer's preliminary estimates for the U.S. Department of Transportation, as cited in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Automotive Fuel Economy Program,
Twenty-Fourth Annual Report to Congress, Calendar Year 1999, Internet site www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/fuelecon/index.html.
CAFE standards:
1980-99: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Automotive Fuel Economy Program, Twenty-Fourth Annual Report to Congress, Calendar Year 1999,
Internet site www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/fuelecon/index.html.