Today’s vehicles are more energy-efficient thanks to advancements by automakers that take a vehicle farther on a tank of gas or an alternative fuel. And, automobiles run cleaner today using higher quality fuel.
What Consumers Buy
Americans favor light trucks, including crossovers, SUVs, vans and pickups. In other parts of the world, customers make different choices, largely based on the cost of gas. Read More
More Consumer Choice
More MPG across all vehicles, from cars, to SUVs, vans and pickups
Consumers enjoy much choice when shopping for energy-efficient autos. More than 490 models are on sale that achieve high mileage, including about 45 hybrids, 34 plug-in hybrids, 24 electric, and three fuel cell electric vehicles. Customers are also finding fuel efficiency gains to the traditional gasoline engine.
Find out what people drive in your stateconsumers & auto sales
More Choice in Energy-Efficient Models
Sales of alternative powertrains remain modest.
Consumer demand for the most energy-efficient vehicles is lower than expected for many reasons, including low gas prices. In model year 2018, the auto industry produced more than 100 electrified models. Their combined sales is about 4 percent of total U.S. sales, or 670,022 out of 17,215,163 in 2018. By contrast, pickup truck sales were 2,863,576, or 16.6% of total sales.
Read MoreBuyers Wanted
state electric vehicle mandate
Eleven states are mandating that automakers sell an increasing number of “Zero Emission Vehicles,” defined as battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cells. Government has a responsibility to help make its ZEV regulations successful with consumer incentives and investments in charging and fueling infrastructure, along with state fleet sales.
Read MoreCO2 reductions
CO2 reductions from new vehicles are on track to surpass the goals of the Paris Climate Accord for 2025.
Under the Paris Climate Accord, the Obama Administration agreed that by 2025 the U.S. would cut greenhouse emissions by 26-28% compared to 2005 levels. The auto sector has already made significant carbon reductions. Fleet-wide automobile CO2 reductions are already more than 21% lower than in 2005. And, this does not include carbon reductions made in our plants. According to the 2018 EPA Trends Report (March 2019), the real-world emissions of new cars and light trucks went from an average of 447 g/mi CO2 in 2005 to 357 g/mi in 2017.
clean car progress
Automakers are on track to virtually eliminate smog-forming emissions from passenger vehicles in the next decade — even with more cars on our roads and people travelling more miles. By 2030, passenger cars will contribute only about 1% of ozone emissions from all sources of smog. And, as more customers buy new vehicles with advanced emissions control systems, we will progress even faster.
Read Moreautomotive recycling
Autos are the most recycled consumer product
95% of retired passenger vehicles are processed for recycling every year. From floor mats and fluids to aluminum and steel, approximately 86% of a car’s material content is recycled, reused, or used for energy recovery.
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