Light-Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 through 2006 summarizes key fuel economy and technology usage trends related to model year (MY) 1975 through 2006 light-duty vehicles sold in the United States. Light-duty vehicles are those vehicles that EPA classifies as cars or light-duty trucks (sport utility vehicles, vans, and pickup trucks with less than 8500 pounds gross vehicle weight ratings). Since 1975, the fuel economy of the combined car and light truck fleet has moved through four phases: 1. a rapid increase from 1975 continuing to the mid-1980s, 2. a slow increase extending into the late-1980s, 3. a gradual decline until the mid-1990s, and 4. a period of relatively constant fuel economy since then. 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. Because it has been over two decades since the current procedures for determining real world fuel economy estimates were established and because both vehicle technology and vehicle driving patterns have changed, EPA has proposed changes to the methodology for calculating real world fuel economy estimates and expects to finalize a new methodology by the end of 2006.

Title from PDF title screen (viewed on March 2, 2017). "EPA 420-S-06-003." "July 2006."