2006 Cars and Suvs Have the Same Average Fuel Economy as Last Year!

By Scott Siegel

http://www.beatthegaspump.com

The EPA has determined that the average fuel consumption of model year 2006 cars and light duty vehicles to be 21 miles per gallon.  That is the same as last year, which means the car manufacturers as a whole did not manage to increase the gas mileage capabilities of their vehicles over last years models.  Or so it seems.

 
The EPA released a report about the fuel economy of cars from 1975 to 2006.  This report covers cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and pickup trucks with less than 8500 pounds gross vehicle weight ratings. 

 There were four main findings: 

1.  There was a rapid increase in fuel economy from 1975 continuing to the mid-1980s.
   
2. There was a slow increase in fuel economy from the mid-1980s extending into the late 1980s.
   
3. There was a gradual decline in fuel economy from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s.
   
4.  There has been a period of relatively constant fuel economy since then.

 2006 light-duty vehicles are estimated to average 21.0 miles per gallon (mpg). This average is the same as last year and in the middle of the 20.6 to 21.4 mpg range that has occurred for the past fifteen years, and five percent below the 1987 to 1988 peak of 22.1 mpg.

 

This chart shows the difference between fuel economy by manufacturer for 1987, 1995 and 2006.  Notice how much lower the 2006 fuel economy is than it was in 1987.  HK is Hyundai-Kia and DC is Daimler-Chrysler.

After over two decades of steady growth, the market share for light trucks has been about half of the overall light-duty vehicle market since 2002. Most of this growth in the light truck market has been led by the increase in the popularity of sport utility vehicles (SUVs), which now account for more than one-fourth of all new light-duty vehicles. MY2006 light-duty vehicles are estimated, on average, to be the heaviest, fastest and most powerful vehicles than in any year since EPA began compiling such data.

 
The fuel economy values in this report are based on ‘real world’ estimates provided by the Federal government to consumers and are about 15 percent lower than the values used by manufacturers and the Department of Transportation (DOT) for compliance with the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program. 

 
In other words the miles per gallon that you see on the new car stickers are 15% higher then the EPA figures used in the report.  The EPA numbers are based on what they think the real mileage per gallon numbers are, rather than what the car manufacturers tell them.

 
The performance of the car manufacturers is not as bad as it may seem.  Vehicle Weight Has Increased and Performance Has Improved, While Fuel Economy Has Remained Constant.  So Americans are driving heavier and faster vehicles and still getting the same average mileage. 

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Scott Siegel is the author of "Beat The Gas Pump!"

Learn how to save gas and increase fuel economy no matter what kind of car or truck you drive!  Learn more about saving money and gas at the pump.  Over 130 ways to save and 
increase fuel economy.

If you want to take your money out of your gas tank and put it back in your pocket go to:

http://www.beatthegaspump.com

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