Fact #388: September 5, 2005
Proposed Light Truck CAFE Standards
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is proposing changes to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards for light trucks less than 8,500 lbs gross vehicle weight (GVW). The proposed standards would take effect in model year (MY) 2008. For the period of 2008-2010, manufacturers of light trucks will have the option of complying with "unreformed CAFE standards" (established in the traditional way) or "reformed CAFE standards" (established under the reformed structure). In MY 2011, however, all manufacturers would have to comply with the reformed standards.
The reformed CAFE standards are based on a measurement of the size of the vehicle called the vehicle "footprint." The footprint of a vehicle is the product of multiplying a vehicle's wheelbase by its track width, measured in square feet. There are six categories of standards based on the footprint (see Reformed CAFE Standard table below for definitions of the categories).
Note: See table below for category definitions
Supporting Information
| Year | CAFE Standard (miles per gallon) |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 20.7 |
| 2002 | 20.7 |
| 2003 | 20.7 |
| 2004 | 20.7 |
| 2005 | 21.0 |
| 2006 | 21.6 |
| 2007 | 22.2 |
| 2008 | 22.5 |
| 2009 | 23.1 |
| 2010 | 23.5 |
| Category | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range of vehicle footprint (in square feet) | <=43.0 | >43.07–47.0 | >47.0–52.0 | >52.0–56.5 | >56.5–65.0 | >65.0 |
| MY 2008 targets | 26.8 | 25.6 | 22.3 | 22.2 | 20.7 | 20.4 |
| MY 2009 targets | 27.4 | 25.6 | 23.5 | 22.7 | 21.0 | 21.0 |
| MY 2010 targets | 27.8 | 26.4 | 24.0 | 22.9 | 21.6 | 20.8 |
| MY 2011 targets | 28.4 | 27.0 | 24.5 | 23.3 | 21.7 | 21.2 |
|
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, "Average Fuel Economy Standards for Light Trucks Model Years 2008-2011," 49 CFR Parts 523, 533 and 537, Docket no. 2005-RIN2127-AJ61. | ||||||
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