Average Fuel Economy Reaches Record High

Average fuel economy for light-duty vehicles sold in the U.S. reached a record high, and carbon dioxide emissions have reached a record low for model-year 2018, according to the EPA.

Staff Writer・Editorial

Read Staff's Posts

March 4, 2020

Average Fuel Economy Reaches Record High — Hisotrical average fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions are shown here, with projected MY-2019 total s shown as an orange dot.
*Image courtesy of EPA*

2 min to read

Average fuel economy for light-duty vehicles sold in the U.S. reached a record high, and carbon dioxide emissions have reached a record low for model-year 2018, according to a report released by the Environmental Protection Agency. The average real-world carbon dioxide emission rate fall by 4 grams per mile to 353 g/mile, while fuel economy increased by 0.2 miles per gallon to 25.1 mpg.

Since 2004, CO2 emissions have decreased 23%, and fuel economy has increased 30%, or 5.8 mpg. Over that time, CO2 emissions and fuel economy have improved in 12 out of 14 years and have repeatedly achieved new records.

Preliminary data suggests further improvements in model-year 2019 — with carbon dioxide emissions expected to fall 6 g/mi to 346 g/mi and fuel economy projected to increase 0.4 mpg to 25.5 mpg. These are based on manufacturer projections rather than real-world data.

Tesla, since it only produces electric vehicles, had the lowest tailpipe CO2 emissions at 0 g/mi and the highest fuel economy at 113.7 mpge of all the large manufacturers in MY-2018. Of the remaining manufacturers, Honda had the lowest CO2 emissions and highest fuel economy.

These technologies are being adopted by manufacturers to reduce CO2 emissions and increase fuel economy.
*Image courtesy of EPA*

Car and truck SUVs captured a record high 46% of market share in MY-2018. Truck SUVs improved fuel economy by 0.8 mpg and CO2 emissions by 14 g/mile, while car SUVs improved fuel economy by 1.2 mpg and CO2 emissions by 15 g/mile. Sedans, making up 37% of the market, increased fuel economy by 0.6 mpg.

Topics:Reducing Emissions CAFE Environmental Protection Agency Operations & Fuel Economy Fuel Costs Emissions Reduction OEMs Vehicle Research

More Vehicle Research

Vehicle Research•by Nichole Osinski•June 3, 2026

May Government Fleet Sales Slip Below 2025 Pace

Despite last month's sales increase, May vehicle numbers took a downward turn.

Are You Tracking Your Fleet's True Total Cost of Ownership?

Bobit Business Media surveyed 190 fleet professionals and found that while most fleets are tracking costs, fragmented systems and data gaps are keeping true TCO visibility out of reach. With rising pressure to control spend in an increasingly volatile environment, the gap between what fleets think they know and what the data actually shows is wider than you might expect. See how your peers are managing costs today and where the industry still has room to improve.

Cover of a whitepaper titled “The Hidden Costs of Departmentally Assigned Vehicles on Your Fleet” featuring a black fleet vehicle driving on a road at sunset. Subheadline reads: “Discover how your fleet can reduce costs and minimize risk by implementing vehicle sharing.” The document focuses on fleet optimization, vehicle sharing, cost reduction, utilization tracking, and risk management for fleet operations.

The Fleet Efficiency Gap: Where Budgets, Utilization & Risk Collide

Departmentally assigned vehicles often create hidden costs through underutilization, poor visibility, and increased administrative burden. This whitepaper explores how shared motor pool strategies help fleets reduce costs, improve accountability, and optimize vehicle utilization.