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Page added on December 15, 2013
Fuel Economy Hits Record High
The official numbers are in. In its new Fuel Economy Trends report the U.S. EPA finds that new automobiles sold in model year 2012 averaged a record-high 23.6 miles per gallon (sticker value) and that model year 2013 is expected to continue the upward trend to reach a new record of 24 mpg. In recent years, automakers have been boosting fuel economy across classes of conventional gasoline cars and trucks, enhancing choices for consumers. Model year 2013 also set a record in the number of very efficient, low emission models of hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles. Spurred in part by rising fuel economy and clean car standards, 2012 and 2013 have been a banner years for the auto industry and new car consumers.
As seen in the graph below, fuel economy has been on a steady rise.
Credit: U.S. EPA, Fuel Economy Trends. Adjusted Fuel Economy reflects fuel economy label sticker values, which are about 80% of the values achieved in laboratory testing to account for real-world performance.
Fuel efficiency standards, which ramp up from in the 2012 to 2025 model years to reach a sticker value of about 40 mpg, are a strong reason for the recent increases in the fleet. The standards create certainty for the auto industry that enables long-term investments in fuel efficiency technologies.
Consumer Choices Expand
Shopping for a new car? In the showroom, consumers are finding more options for conventional gasoline cars and trucks that get more miles per gallon and will lower gasoline bills.
Credit: U.S. EPA, Fuel Economy Trends
EPA notes that advanced conventional gasoline technologies, like downsized turbo-charged engines and high-speed transmissions, continue to penetrate the fleet. Already, 28 percent of the 2013 models meet the 2016 model year fuel efficiency and carbon pollution requirements.
Also growing is the number of very efficient hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles. According to data from auto market analysts Baum and Associates, model year 2013 sales of hybrids reached just over a half million, up 26 percent from model year 2012. Over 90,000 plug-in electric vehicles were sold in model year 2013, which is an increase of 139% from 2012. EPA reports that 6 previously unreleased models of plug-in electric vehicles were certified in 2013, including the Fiat 500e, Honda Fit, Scion iQ EV, Smart fortwo electric, Ford Fusion Energi and Ford C-Max Energi.
Leaders and Laggards
Among the statistics provided by EPA are the average fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions of new vehicle fleets by manufacturer. As shown below, the model year 2013 leaders with high fuel efficiency and low emissions are Mazda, Honda, Toyota, VW and Subaru. These manufacturers held the top five positions in 2012 as well.
Credit: U.S. EPA, Fuel Economy Trends
While not necessarily among the top five leaders, several manufacturers made substantial improvements to lower their carbon pollution and fuel consumption scores from model year 2011 to model year 2013 (the table above shows changes from 2011 to 2012 but I calculated the 2011-2013 changes for a better trend indication). Daimler dropped emissions by 14 percent, Honda by 11 percent and Chrysler-Fiat by 10 percent.
Fast and Fuel Efficient
EPA’s data shows that consumers are enjoying both fuel efficiency and high performance. EPA estimates the time to go from a stop to 60 miles per hour, or 0-60 time. Fuel efficiency continues to rise while 0-60 times remain at historically fast levels. (The 0-60 metric is familiar but it is certainly not the only measure of performance. As a driver, you may be more interested in fast acceleration in narrower ranges, like from 0-30, 30-60 or 60-70, where rapid torque response—like that from very efficient electric vehicles—gives the desired ‘kick’.)
Source: NRDC graph created using data from U.S. EPA Fuel Economy Trends report.
Last year, I wrote that 2012 was shaping up to be the first Year of the Green Car. EPA’s Trends report confirms that in the realm of fuel efficiency, the automakers are innovating and the consumers are buying. The result is a stronger industry, better energy security and a cleaner environment.
14 Comments on "Fuel Economy Hits Record High"
rollin on Sun, 15th Dec 2013 7:13 pm
I think that increasing mpg is a great idea. I also think it is changing too slowly. MPG is only one factor in the equation though, miles traveled is the other. If people would also consolidate trips, share rides and cut excess driving, fuel use would fall dramatically. They would save money, cause less pollution and send a message to oil companies and car manufacturers.
I drive an SUV that gets 35 mpg on the highway. Cars should be getting 45 mpg and better. Of course you sacrifice extreme acceleration but it all costs less and that’s money not in the oil company pocket.
BillT on Mon, 16th Dec 2013 1:19 am
Ha! 28 MPG is nothing new.
I was getting that when I traveled I-95 between PA and Florida and owned a 25 year old 1975 Chevy Impala 283 V8.
I also owned a 1964 Chevy Impala when I was 21. It had a 396 V8 with a 4 barrel carb and drag racing on the interstate burned 3 MPG or more.
The EPA figures are no more reliable than any other coming from a government agency.
It is where and how you drive that determines MPG, not some window sticker ad.
BillT on Mon, 16th Dec 2013 1:21 am
BTW: Cars then weighed about twice what they do now.
DC on Mon, 16th Dec 2013 2:28 am
RoFL! The NRDC should think harder before printing tripe like this. At this rate, amerikan ‘average fuel efficiency’ will by 30mpg by what? The year 2100?
The EPA’s methodology is widely known to be bogus. The standards were developed by the OIL AUTO industry, and their express purpose to make things like mpg, look a lot better than they actually are. The ‘new’ standards are just a PR stunt.
Using 2 ton garbage cans to move a single 150-200 pounds of person from one red light to the next, is inherently wasteful no matter what ‘mpg’ your trash can gets. Neither amerika, or the world, can ‘mpg’ its way out of an economic\fuel decline spiral. The NRDC, like all psuedo-green organizations continues to pimp the idea that EV’s ‘hybrids’ and marginally better ‘economy’ will save endless motoring.
If the # of trash-can globally were say, 10% of what it is now, AND were all highly efficient, maybe this would some kind of slight sense. In our current situation, it smacks of delusion.
They really should sit down and rethink their position on pimping ‘efficient’ amerikan cars that dont exist-and never will. That might upset there corporate sponsors though, so I am not expecting any time soon.
*Over 20 years I had a small diesel truck by mitsubishi that got 40mpg. They were taken off the market shortly after I bought mine-they were ‘too fuel efficient’.
dashster on Mon, 16th Dec 2013 2:28 am
It’s a shame that they let trucks that are being as commuter/pleasure vehicles get around the mpg rules for cars. If we correctly taxed gasoline in order to start paying for electric train construction, the idea of a four-door V8 family truck would be less appealing.
Ghung on Mon, 16th Dec 2013 3:35 am
I’m having a hard time getting excited about this and our global Jevonsesque relationship to cars, though throwing more complexity and complicated supply chains at the automobile thing, gaining perhaps a few percent in full-cycle efficiency after 100+ years while not cutting world liquid fuels consumption may seem clever to some. Maybe I’ve read too much Kunstler.
MrEnergyCzar on Mon, 16th Dec 2013 3:40 am
My Volt got 225 MPG the first 30,000 miles but I’m the far end of the bell curve…
MrEnergyCzar
BillT on Mon, 16th Dec 2013 10:51 am
And the electric came from coal plants…
DC on Mon, 16th Dec 2013 1:47 pm
Dont worry Bill, he is not getting 225MPG in his poorly built 2 ton GM (HYBRID)!
http://www.joewein.net/blog/2009/08/13/chevy-volt-230-mpg-claim-is-misleading/
But, GM LOVES misleading(false) advertising, its in their DNA.
Here is another fine example of the promoting behind GM’s primitive and cludgy tech.
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/08/chevy-volt-european-ads-banned-for-misleading-claim.html
rockman on Mon, 16th Dec 2013 3:26 pm
And let’s not forget what they are talking about: fuel economy of NEW vehicles…not the current US auto fleet. I don’t have the link handy but it’s easy to find: in the last 5 (actually maybe 10) years the fuel economy of the US auto fleet has increased 1 mpg. And that’s not 1 mpg per year but for the entire period. Given vehicles stay on the road for 10+ years it takes a long time for fleet efficiency to change significantly.
The decrease in US motor fuel has little to nothing to do with improved fuel efficiency. It’s all about demand destruction. Which will probably be proven if the current drop in fuel prices persists and we see consumption increase.
Dave Thompson on Mon, 16th Dec 2013 4:27 pm
We are still using over 85 million bls. per day world wide. If we get better gas mileage that 85 million does not change.
shortonoil on Mon, 16th Dec 2013 4:54 pm
When I was doing my undergrad work, I had a 1973, Volvo P1800 that got 47 miles per gallon, and would do a 160 mph (I know, I tried it “one” time. Scared the hell out of me later). It had a compression ratio of 13.5 to 1, and burned nothing less than 106 octane. Most engines today run a compression ratio of 8 to 8.5 to 1. That cuts fuel economy by 35%. A 60, 70, 80 mile per gallon ICE powered vehicle is today very possible. To get there all we would have to do is get the bureaucracy out of the way!
Fulton J. Waterloo on Mon, 16th Dec 2013 5:04 pm
BillT: your ability to make false and naive statements is nothing short of breathtaking. Up until several years ago, cars were actually gaining weight; many still are, but only incrementally. If you are trying to insinuate that cars were more safe, watch the video of a 60’s Chevy Bel Air getting DESTROYED by a new Chevy Malibu. If a person (like myself) is willing to pay the very small premium for solar/wind power from a utility, then your critique of the Chevy Volt is also invalid.Your statement on your 64 Impala is confusing: do you mean it was more efficient than your 1975? Finally, the current EPA stickers are actually too LOW. A good driver can easily beat the post 2007 numbers. Finally,finally, the posters who mention the obvious problem, that mpg increases are too slow,and not enough to offset more cars, are actually making intelligent comments. Your comments are more akin to the old guys wearing hats sitting around in the hardware store blowing more smoke that the store’s furnace…
criticalmass on Mon, 16th Dec 2013 6:13 pm
It’s about efficiency gains, ppl. And yes, the government has little to no impact on them 🙂
See Rockman’s comment. Demand destruction forces new buying patterns- EPA benchmarks or not. Econ 101 strikes again.
You should see the looks I get when I tell people we NEED gasoline to break the $5 mark- like yesterday. Stop wasting our money on subsidies and let’s improve efficiency for the most inefficient sector- transportation.