Last year, the U.S. made record strides in fuel efficiency, but still couldn't meet fast-looming deadlines. Because of their penchant for larger vehicles, U.S. automakers are lagging behind their competitors in increasing mileage per gallon of gas.
According to the latest Automotive Trends Report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the actual fuel economy of the 2022 model year increased slightly to 26 miles per gallon. This is an increase of 06 miles of gallons, which is apparently the last nine years, according to the EPA"More than double the annual growth rate of fuel economy"。
But while the agency celebrates the gradual improvement in fuel economy, there is still a long way to go to meet the fuel efficiency standards that the United States has set for itself. By 2026, the average fuel consumption of a car should reach 49 miles per gallon. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) finalized this goal back in 2022, and earlier this year, it proposed higher standards for cars manufactured between 2027 and 2032.
As a result, there seems to be a huge gap between America's aspirations and today's fuel efficiency. Fortunately, tracking progress isn't as simple as comparing those goals with the data the EPA published in its report yesterday. The actual fuel economy data assessed by the EPA is often lower than the compliance data, which is the data used in the NHTSA rules.
The estimated actual data is measured through laboratory tests to better reflect road conditions and how people drive. Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Transport campaign at the Center for Biological Diversity, said real-world fuel economy figures are often 25 percent lower than official compliance figures.
With that in mind, automakers need to make more progress if they are to reach 49 miles per gallon fuel efficiency within a few years. In the 2024-2025 model year, fuel efficiency should be improved by 8% per year to meet this goal.
Considering that American car companies (excluding Tesla) lag behind brands in other countries, they need to put in more effort. Ford, General Motors, Jeep, and Dodge parent company Stellant averaged between 21mpg and 23mpg last year. They lag behind foreign automakers like Hyundai and Honda, which are at the top of the list at around 29mpg.
** in the U.S. EPA's Automotive Trends Report shows estimated changes in actual fuel economy and CO2 emissions from large manufacturers between 2017 and 2022. Figure: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The culprit for this discrepancy is obvious. The growing popularity of trucks and SUVs has dragged down the fuel economy of American-made vehicles. This also has wider health and environmental consequences.
Oversized passenger cars consume more gasoline than small cars, which also means they produce more tailpipe pollution, which can lead to deteriorating air quality and climate change. Large electric vehicles are also problematic because they produce more particulate pollution due to wear and tear on the road and tires.
Fortunately, the EPA reported that carbon dioxide emissions from new cars still fell by 3% last year, a record low. However, trucks and off-road vehicles managed to offset some of the progress.
The EPA's report said:"The long-term trend from sedans to vans to models with lower fuel economy and higher CO2 emissions has offset some of the overall fleet benefits that could have been gained from the improvements to each model. "
American companies are stupid and short-sighted,"Becker said. "They would rather continue to sell gas-guzzling cars that have been making money than switch to advanced cars, which are the future. "
In addition to producing electric vehicles, Becker noted that the company has been slow to adopt other fuel-efficient technologies. For example, turbochargers can use waste heat to improve the fuel efficiency of a car. But this technology is only used in about 37% of the models produced by large manufacturers in 2022. Luxury automakers have the highest percentage of turbocharging technology, with almost all BMW cars and 90% of Mercedes 2022 models using turbocharging technology. Stellantis has the lowest adoption rate at just 13%.
When it comes to meeting fuel efficiency targets, all automotive companies have the technology to do so"Becker said. "This is automotive mechanics, not rocket science. "