Energy

Automakers Are on the Road to Meeting Fuel Efficiency Standards

An analysis of current fuel economy across the U.S. fleet shows manufacturers are successfully complying with – and in some cases, exceeding – Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and related emissions standards. As a result, American consumers now enjoy the widest-ever range of fuel-efficient options on the market, in every single vehicle class.

Further to this, new consumer polling shows that Americans continue to place high value on fuel efficiency when considering future vehicle purchases. They also support the federal government’s fuel economy standards, which agencies are slated to revisit this year. According to a new national survey conducted by ORC International for the Consumer Federation of America, 81 percent of respondents support the federal standards, with 52 percent expressing strong support. And despite today’s low gas prices, consumers expect a return to pre-glut, $3.00 per gallon levels in coming years.

The following report includes: 1) a review of fuel economy performance among the major automakers, 2) a description of recent consumer polling and 3) an appendix of model-by-model new vehicle fuel economy performance over the past three years