CAFE Mileage Standards

24 August 2005

In 1975, Congress passed the Energy Policy Conservation Act (EPCA), which established corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light trucks. Total fleet fuel economy peaked in 1987 at 26.2 mpg.

This table provides both fuel economy standards and fleet average mpg.

Fuel Economy Standards for Passenger Cars and Light Trucks

Model Years 1978 Through 2007 (miles-per-gallon)

Model Year	Passenger Cars	Light trucks			Fleet Average
		2-wheel drive	4-wheel drive	Combined
1978	18.0	-	-	-	na
1979	19.0	17.2	15.8	-	20.1
1980	20.0	16.0	14.0	-	23.1
1981	22.0	16.7	15.0	-	24.6
1982	24.0	18.0	16.0	17.5	25.1
1983	26.0	19.5	17.5	19.0	24.8
1984	27.0	20.3	18.5	20.0	25.0
1985	27.5	19.7	18.9	19.5	25.4
1986	26.0	20.5	19.5	20.0	25.9
1987	26.0	21.5	19.5	20.5	26.2
1988	26.0	21.0	19.5	20.5	26.0
1989	26.5	21.5	19.0	20.0	25.6
1990	27.5	20.5	19.0	20.2	25.4
1991	27.5	20.7	19.1	20.2	25.6
1992	27.5	-	-	20.2	25.1
1993	27.5	-	-	20.4	25.2
1994	27.5	-	-	20.5	24.7
1995	27.5	-	-	20.6	24.9
1996	27.5	-	-	20.7	24.9
1997	27.5	-	-	20.7	24.6
1998	27.5	-	-	20.7	24.7
1999	27.5	-	-	20.7	24.5
2000	27.5	-	-	20.7	24.7
2001	27.5	-	-	20.7	24.4
2002	27.5	-	-	20.7	24.6*
2003	27.5	-	-	20.7	25.0*
2004	27.5	-	-	20.7	na
2005	27.5	-	-	21.0	na
2006	27.5	-	-	21.6	na
2007	27.5	-	-	22.2	na

Source:
Congressional Research Service, Automobile and Light Truck Fuel Economy: The CAFE Standards, 13 June 2002 ( pdf ) except where noted by (*). Those data (*) are from NHTSA, Automotive Fuel Economy Program, Annual Update, Calendar Year 2003. (There is no 2004 report online).