Reasons for changes in MPG estimates, model year 1978 to the present

Book · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5822606

Patterson, P D; Westbrook, F W; Greene, D L; Roberts, G F

In model year 1983, new car MPG declined for the first time in ten years. Accompanying this decline in MPG, the size of the average car increased, car weights and engine sized increased and diesel sales declined - all reversing their movements over the previous ten years. Using carline MPG estimates and sales figures, it is estimated that new car MPG declined 0.29 in 1983 after rising 6.70 MPG over the previous four years. Furthermore,it is estimated that actions by new car buyers would have lowered the 1983 MPG 0.40 MPG through the purchase of larger cars, cars with larger engines and fewer diesel engines if the manufacturers had not some fuel economy improvements and introduced some new high-MPG cars. A simple model of future fuel use increases as a friction of MPG levels below a specified level consistent with the CAFE standards shows that the costs of lower fuel economy will only gradually be felt, but that these costs will increase over time and persist for over a decade.

• OSTI ID: 5822606
• Report Number(s): SAE-TP-840850
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320203* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Transportation-- Land & Roadway
AUTOMOBILES
AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
DIESEL ENGINES
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ENGINES
FUEL ECONOMY
HEAT ENGINES
INDUSTRY
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
SALES
SIZE
VEHICLES
WEIGHT