The American system of mandating and measuring the fuel efficiency in
automobiles is called the CAFE Standard,Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency.The United States Department of Transportation defines it as,“the sales
weighted average fuel economy, expressed in miles per gallon (MPG), of a
manufacturer’s fleet of passenger cars or light trucks with a gross vehicle
weight rating (GVWR) of 8,500 lbs. or less, manufactured for sale in the United
States, for any given model year.”
The program has existed since 1975, when it was instituted in response to the
first gasoline crisis in the United States and has been tweaked very seldom
since then. In fact, average fuel efficiency ratings of automobiles on American
roads are lower now than when the mass-production automobile was invented a
century ago!
How can this be?
The American system of mandating and measuring the fuel efficiency in automobiles is called the CAFE Standard,Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency.The United States Department of Transportation defines it as,“the sales weighted average fuel economy, expressed in miles per gallon (MPG), of a manufacturer’s fleet of passenger cars or light trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 8,500 lbs. or less, manufactured for sale in the United States, for any given model year.”
The program has existed since 1975, when it was instituted in response to the first gasoline crisis in the United States and has been tweaked very seldom since then. In fact, average fuel efficiency ratings of automobiles on American roads are lower now than when the mass-production automobile was invented a century ago!
How can this be?