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U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Fact #624: May 24, 2010
Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards, Model Years 2012-2016

The final rule for the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards was published in March 2010. Under this rule, each light vehicle model produced for sale in the United States will have a fuel economy target based on its footprint. A vehicle's footprint is defined as the wheelbase (the distance from the center of the front axle to the center of the rear axle) times the average track width (the distance between the center lines of the tires) of the vehicle in square feet. The CAFE levels that must be met by the fleet of each manufacturer will be determined by computing the sales-weighted harmonic average of the targets applicable to each of the manufacturer's passenger cars and light trucks.

Final MY 2011 – 2016 Passenger Car Fuel Economy Targets
Line graph showing the fuel economy targets for passenger cars for the model years 2011 to 2016 according to the final rule for the CAFE standards published in March 2010. For more detailed information, see supporting information below.
Final MY 2011-2016 Light Truck Fuel Economy Targets
Line graph showing the fuel economy targets for light trucks for the model years 2011 to 2016 according to the final rule for the CAFE standards published in March 2010. For more detailed information, see supporting information below.

Based on the forecast of the vehicle fleet, average required fuel economies were calculated. The combined average required fuel economy for cars and light trucks in 2012 is 29.7 mpg, rising to 34.1 mpg by 2016. The required average for cars is about 30% higher than that of light trucks.

Required Average Fuel Economy, 2012-2016
Bar graph showing the car, light truck, and combined required average fuel economy (miles per gallon) for the model years 2012 to 2016. For more detailed information, see supporting information below.

Supporting Information

For detailed data on the Final Passenger Car and Light Truck Fuel Economy Targets graphs, see the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web site.

Average Required Fuel Economy, MY 2012-1016
Model Year Cars Light Trucks Combined Cars and Light Trucks
2012 33.3 25.4 29.7
2013 34.2 26.0 30.5
2014 34.9 26.6 31.3
2015 36.2 27.5 32.6
2016 37.8 28.8 34.1

Source: Federal Register, Vol. 75, No. 88, May 7, 2010, p. 25330 (PDF 5.6 MB) on the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration Web site. Download Adobe Reader.

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