Yes, you read correctly. If the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Traffic Highway Administration (NHTSA) get their way, the "average" car in 2025 will get 56.2 mpg. That sounds pretty good, if somewhat unrealistic.
In the US, the federal government regulates the efficiency of the fleet of vehicles each auto maker sells. On average, a manufacturer's fleet must meet certain fuel efficiency standards. This is called the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE). The key term here is average. Certainly, not every vehicle will have to attain 56.2 mpg in 2025. Some will be much less efficient, such as trucks, sports cars, SUVs, etc. That also means that some will have to be more efficient to bring up the average.
Currently, the Toyota Prius gets the highest combined fuel rating in the US, returning 48 miles of travel per gallon of gasoline consumed. That means, that the Toyota Prius will have to increase its fuel efficiency by 16.7% until 2025 just to be average. This sounds like a tall order.
Here is where it gets tricky. To make things more interesting, the numbers the EPA uses to calculate CAFE differ from those found on the window sticker. (For a detailed explanation about what is on those stickers, see my prior post). Apparently, per an AutoObserver analysis, these CAFE numbers equate to about 41 mpg combined on the window sticker. That's better and less alarmist.
Still, it's worth noting that hybrids currently only comprise about 5% of US auto sales. (It's also worth noting that the Toyota Prius accounts for 50% of those sales.) That will have to change if these CAFE numbers are enacted. Will this usher in the golden era for diesel in the US? Probably not, but it won't be long before enthusiasts will try to make their case, mostly to each other. If the market demanded them, they would be for sale. Years of trying to educate the US market by German manufacturers have shown little result.
On a personal level, the idea of legislating fuel efficiency strikes me as counter-productive. Why force manufacturers to build expensive and highly efficient vehicles that most consumers don't want. Instead, let's do the sensible thing and increase the price of fuel. High fuel costs will spur market demand for more efficient vehicles. It would also raise more tax money for public roads and reduce the regulatory burden on auto manufacturers.
One concern is that auto makers will produce much lighter cars in order to meet the CAFE regulations. Lighter cars are great for mpg but not so great in case of an accident
Posted by: Honda Dealer Los Angeles | 13 February 2012 at 11:53