US vehicles set fuel economy record: EPA

New vehicles in the U.S. hit a record high for fuel economy in 2022 while emission levels dropped to record low levels, according to a new report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In its annual Automotive Trends Report, the EPA found that model year 2022 brought the largest annual improvement in carbon dioxide emissions and fuel economy in the last nine years. Since 2004, carbon dioxide emissions decreased by 27 percent while fuel economy increased by 35 percent, the report noted.

The average fuel economy jumped by 0.6 miles per gallon (mpg) between 2021 and 2022 to a record high of 26 mpg, the EPA said. This is more than double the annual rate of improvement in fuel economy over the last decade and marks a shift from last year’s report, which found fuel economy generally remained flat between 2020 and 2021.

The EPA said most vehicle types are now at their best-ever fuel economy, including sport utility vehicles, which saw an increase in fuel economy of 2.4 mpg in 2022.

This increase is likely to continue, the EPA report stated, forecasting a fuel economy of 26.9 mpg in 2023.

Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles were a significant reason behind the drop in carbon dioxide emissions in 2022, with these types of vehicles reducing the overall average of carbon dioxide emissions by 22 grams per mile and increasing fuel economy by 1.2 mpg.

“As the United States accelerates towards a clean transportation future, today’s report highlights the historic progress made so far by the industry to reduce climate pollution and other harmful emissions,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a statement. “We are thrilled to see manufacturers continue to innovate and develop technologies in multiple vehicle categories that have led to a substantial increase in miles per gallon, passing cost savings onto families across the nation.”

The new report also found all 14 large manufacturers comply with light-duty greenhouse gas program requirements. It found the production of electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles increased from 4 percent of production in 2021 to 7 percent of production in 2022. The EPA forecasts this trend will continue and could reach 12 percent of production in 2023.

The findings come as the Biden administration continues a push for the motor vehicle industry to shift towards electric vehicles to reduce overall fuel emissions. In a proposal released in April, the Biden administration projected about two-thirds of new light-duty passenger cars sold in the U.S. could be electric by 2032 under its proposed clean car regulations.

The House, however, last week voted in favor of blocking these new proposed rules, though the legislation is not expected to pass in the Democratically controlled Senate. The bill approved by the House would bar the EPA from pursuing any rules to lead to gas-powered cars.

The White House has threatened to veto the block if it did make it to President Biden’s desk, while Republicans have argued the EPA’s proposed rules would force consumers to shift to electric vehicles even if they do not want to.