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EPA FUEL ECONOMY TRENDS REPORT AVAILABLE
Release Date: 10/07/99
Contact Information:
FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, OCT. 7, 1999
EPA FUEL ECONOMY TRENDS
REPORT AVAILABLE
REPORT AVAILABLE
EPA has released a technical report on fuel economy trends for model year 1975 through 1999 light vehicles sold in the United States. The report, “Light Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends Through 1999," has been issued since the 1970s. It includes data which show that fuel economy is declining. The average fuel economy for all model-year light vehicles is 23.8 miles per gallon (mpg). For 1999, average fuel economy is 28.1 mpg for passenger cars and 20.3 mpg for light duty trucks (sport utility vehicles, minivans, and pickup trucks less than 8,500 pounds). The 1999 fuel economy average is the lowest value since 1980 and is 2.1 mpg less than the peak value of 25.9 mpg achieved in both 1987 and 1988. Average new light vehicle fuel economy has dropped 1 mpg since 1996. This drop in mpg average can be attributed to the fact that sales of light-duty trucks, which are heavier and achieve lower fuel economy, have risen steadily for 20 years and now make up 46 percent of the U.S. market -- more than twice their market share as recently as 1983. Fuel economy estimates in the trends report are slightly lower than those listed in the “Fuel Economy Guide” because the data included in this technical report are unadjusted laboratory data. The report can be found on: https://www.epa.gov/oms/mpg.htm.
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