The agency says this is a direct result of more and more customers buying large and not really efficient vehicles. The numbers show 56 percent of the fleet in the United States for the model year were trucks of different sizes and categories, including SUVs. In fact, the utility vehicles alone accounted for almost 50 percent of the entire US vehicle production that year.
Not only that, but according to the EPA, the average vehicle weight and power hit record levels in Just for a reference, the average horsepower number is up by 79 percent compared to for all vehicles. The agency expects all these trends to continue in Despite that though, the EPA predicts will set a new record for the highest average fuel economy in the United States, estimating approximately In other words, the number of SUVs and trucks on US roads handily outdoes the number of sedans , hatchbacks and the like.
And more often than not, the former category returns worse fuel economy. The EPA also pointed out numerous automakers failed to meet the previous Obama administration's fuel economy standards without the help of purchased credits to remain in regulatory compliance. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles bought the most credits to stay in compliance, with Tesla , which only sells electric cars , sold credits worth a tally of Honda and Toyota also sold credits: The latest fuel economy regulations the Trump administration enacted in , as part of the SAFE Vehicles Rule, are meant to ease compliance for automakers with smaller fuel economy increases through In the two decades before model year , technology innovation was generally used to increase vehicle power, and weight increased due to changing vehicle design, increased vehicle size, and increased content.
During this period, average new vehicle fuel economy steadily decreased and CO 2 emissions correspondingly increased. Average vehicle weight in model year was only slightly above but has increased slowly over the last several years and is currently at the highest point on record. One additional vehicle metric not shown in Figure ES-4 is vehicle footprint, or the area enclosed by the four tires. Innovation in the automobile industry has led to a wide array of technology available to manufacturers to achieve CO 2 emissions, fuel economy, and performance goals.
Figure ES-5 illustrates projected manufacturer-specific technology adoption, with larger circles representing higher adoption rates, for model year The figure shows preliminary model year technology projections to provide insight on a quickly changing industry, even though there is some uncertainty in the preliminary data.
Engine technologies such as turbocharged engines Turbo and gasoline direct injection GDI allow for more efficient engine design and operation. Hybrid vehicles use a larger battery to recapture braking energy and provide power when necessary, allowing for a smaller, more efficiently operated engine. Transmissions that have more gear ratios, or speeds, allow the engine to more frequently operate near peak efficiency.
Many of the technologies in Figure ES-5 have been adopted rapidly by the industry. An ABT program means that the standards may be met on a fleet average basis, manufacturers may earn and bank credits to use later, and manufacturers may trade credits with other manufacturers. This provides manufacturers flexibility in meeting the standards while accounting for vehicle design cycles, introduction rates of new technologies and emission improvements, and evolving consumer preferences.
Within a model year, manufacturers with average fleet emissions lower than the standards generate credits, and manufacturers with average fleet emissions higher than the standards generate deficits. Any manufacturer with a deficit at the end of the model year has up to three years to offset the deficit with credits earned in future model years, or purchased from another manufacturer.
Because credits may not be carried forward unless deficits from all prior model years have been resolved, a positive credit balance means compliance with the current and all previous model years of the program. The fourteen largest manufacturers ended model year with a positive credit balance and are thus in compliance for model year and all previous years of the GHG program.
The accumulated credits shown in Figure ES-6 will be carried forward for use in future model years. Total credits are shown in teragrams one million Megagrams , and account for manufacturer performance compared to their standards, expected vehicle lifetime miles driven, and the number of vehicles produced by each manufacturer, for all years of the GHG program.
Manufacturers used different combinations of technology improvements, banked credits, and purchased credits to achieve compliance in Tesla, Honda, and Subaru achieved compliance based on the emission performance of their vehicles, without requiring additional banked credits.
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