United States Air and Radiation EPA420-F-00-031
Environmental Protection December 2000
Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
Report
Announcement
Light-Duty Automotive
Technology and Fuel Economy
Trends 1975 Through 2000
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's report, "Light-Duty
Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends 1975 Through 2000,"
summarizes key fuel economy and technology usage trends related to
model year 1975 through 2000 light vehicles sold in the United States.
The report finds that since 1988, average new light vehicle fuel
economy has declined 1.9 miles per gallon (mpg)—more than seven
percent. The average fuel economy for model year 2000 vehicles is 24.0
mpg, as low as it has been any year since 1980. This is primarily due to
the increase in light truck market share and to the tradeoff of fuel
economy for increased vehicle weight and performance.
Importance of Fuel Economy
Fuel economy is important because:
(1) it is directly related to carbon dioxide emissions, the most prevalent
pollutant associated with global warming, and light vehicles emit about
20 percent of all U.S. carbon dioxide emissions;
(2) crude oil is considered to be a finite natural resource and light ve-
hicles account for about 40 percent of all U.S. oil consumption; and
(3) it is directly related to the cost of fueling a vehicle. The fuel
economy values in this report are laboratory data that are significantly
higher than the real world estimates that are used on new vehicle labels
and in the Fuel Economy Guide.
> Printed on Recycled Paper
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Fuel Economy
at a
20 Year Low
Trucks
Represent
Half of
Light
Fuel Economy
is
Traded for
Vehicle Weight
Power
Ford
General
are
to
Fuel
Economy
The fuel economy values in this report are laboratory data that are
significantly higher than the real world estimates used on new vehicle
labels and in the Fuel Economy Guide. Light vehicles include those
vehicles that EPA and the U.S. Department of Transportation DOT
classify as cars or light-duty trucks (sport utility vehicles, vans, and
pickup trucks with less than 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight ratings).
There are five key findings in the report.
There has been an overall declining trend in light vehicle fuel economy
since 1988. The average fuel economy for all model year 2000 light
vehicles is now 24.0 mpg, the same as in 1999, and is as low as it has
been at any time since 1980. This value is more than 1.9 mpg (about
seven percent) lower than the peak value of 25.9 mpg achieved in 1987
and 1988. Within the light vehicle category for model year 2000, average
fuel economy is 28.1 mpg for passenger cars and 20.5 mpg for light
trucks.
Sales of light trucks (SUVs, vans and minivans, and pickup trucks) have
risen steadily for over 20 years and now make up 46 percent of the U.S.
light vehicle market—more than twice their market share as recently as
1983. Within the light truck category for 2000, SUVs average 20.0 mpg,
vans and minivans average 22.5 mpg, and pickup trucks average 20.1
mpg.
More efficient technologies continue to enter the new light vehicle fleet
and are being used to increase vehicle weight and acceleration rather
than fuel economy. This year's light vehicles will have about the same
average fuel economy as those built in model year 1981. Based on
accepted engineering relationships, however, had the new 2000 light
vehicle fleet had the same average weight and performance as in 1981, it
could have achieved 25 percent higher fuel economy.
Ford Motor Company recently pledged to increase the fuel economy of
its entire line of SUV sales by 25 percent by the 2005 model year.
General Motors pledged to remain the truck fuel economy leader. If all
manufacturers were to voluntarily increase the average fuel economy of
their entire light vehicle fleets by 25 percent by 2005, average light
vehicle fuel economy would increase from 24 mpg to 30 mpg.
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The
Hybrid
is the
Fuel Efficient
U.S. Vehicle
1975
The model year 2000 Honda Insight, the first gasoline/battery hybrid
vehicle ever sold in the U.S. market, is the most fuel efficient vehicle
sold in the United States since 1975. The two-seater Insight has a labora-
tory fuel economy rating of 76.3 mpg, and Fuel Economy Guide/ fuel
economy label ratings of 61 mpg city and 70 mpg highway.
For
Light-Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975-
2000 (EPA420-R-00-008) is available electronically on the Office of
Transportation and Air Quality's (OTAQ) Web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fetrends.htm
Printed copies of this report are available from:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Service Center for Environmental Publications
P.O. Box 42419
Cincinnati, OH 45242-2419
(800)490-9198
You can also contact the OTAQ library for document information at:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality Library
2000 Traverwood Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734)214-4311
A copy of the Fuel Economy Guide giving city and highway fuel
economy data for individual models is available at http://www.
fueleconomy.gov or by calling the U.S. Department of Energy's National
Alternative Fuels Hotline at (800) 423-1363.
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