The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 50th annual Automotive Trends Report, demonstrating that model year 2023 vehicle fuel economy reached a record high while greenhouse gas emissions dropped to record low levels. The report also shows that all 14 large automotive manufacturers are in compliance with EPA’s light-duty GHG program requirements through the 2023 reporting period. Today, the new 2023 electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on the road have led to 11 percent lower CO2 emissions.
The 2024 EPA Automotive Trends Report celebrates its 50th anniversary and continues a long tradition of providing the public with a highly detailed look at progress in the auto industry.
“This report provides a critical data-driven affirmation that strong, technology-neutral standards can underpin environmental progress while saving drivers money at the pump,” said EPA administrator Michael S. Regan. “Manufacturers continue to innovate and are bringing technologies to market which will directly improve air quality, better protecting people’s health and saving lives.”
Over the course of 50 years, there have been many notable vehicle emission and public health accomplishments. Since EPA began keeping data in 1975, vehicles today are roughly 99 percent cleaner for common pollutants (such as hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particle emissions) which can help alleviate adverse health effects such as asthma and heart problems, and limit hospital days and cancer. In addition, fuel economy in the U.S. has improved from 13.1 miles per gallon in 1975 to 27.1 mpg for 2023 vehicles.
Despite these significant improvements in local air pollution that have benefited Americans, passenger cars and light trucks still accounted for nearly 17 percent of total U.S. GHG emissions in 2022, indicating the importance of further reductions in GHG emissions and improvements in fuel economy.
2024 EPA Automotive Trends Report highlights:
- For 2023, new vehicle fuel economy increased by 1.1 mpg reaching a record high 27.1 miles mpg.
- For 2023, new vehicle real-world CO2 emissions decreased to a record low of 319 grams per mile. By saving an additional 18 grams per mile of CO2 on each vehicle produced in the United States in 2023, the impact on climate change is reduced.
- Since 2004, CO2 emissions have decreased 31 percent, or 142 g/mi, and fuel economy has increased 40 percent, or 7.8 mpg.
- Since 2004, CO2 emissions have improved in 16 of 19 years.
- EVs and PHEVs are accelerating the downward trend in new vehicle real-world emissions. These vehicles have reduced CO2 emissions by 38 g/mi and improved fuel economy by 2.2 mpg in 2023.
- In 2023, the combined category of battery-electric vehicles, PHEVs, and fuel cell vehicles increased from 6.7 percent of production in 2022 to 11.5 percent of production in 2023 and are projected to reach 14.8 percent of production in model year 2024. This accelerating trend will likely continue as EV production is expected to grow across the industry in coming years.
Published December 2024