The 54.5-mpg CAFE Target Looms Large—Here’s How Companies Currently Stack Up

Friday, November 21, 2014

The 54.5-mpg CAFE Target Looms Large—Here’s How Companies Currently Stack Up

The 54.5-mpg CAFE Target Looms Large—Here's How Companies Currently Stack Up

These days, just about every bit of technical wizardry—direct injection, turbocharging, lightweight construction—targets higher efficiency. That's because we're in the middle of America's greatest-ever increase in fuel-economy requirements.

In 2017, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard for cars takes off toward 55.8 mpg in 2025, double 2010's 27.5 mpg. In that same time, truck efficiency will also double to 39.8 mpg. Combined, they comprise the touted 54.5-mpg target. Of course, CAFE is measured more generously than the numbers on the window sticker—a Honda Accord with a 31-mpg-combined label is rated at 40.8 mpg for CAFE—but that has long been the case.

The new standards use flexible yardsticks, with each vehicle's target mpg based on its footprint (track multiplied by wheelbase) to put makers of large and small cars on more-equal footing. To see where the industry stands, we've created two charts that show the CAFE requirements for model years 2016, 2021, and 2025. Then we positioned a few vehicles on the charts according to their current CAFE mpg ratings. We ignored the small credits available to cars with electrified powertrains because they phase in and out during this period.

Only a few hybrids surpass the 2025 standards. Some diesels and hybrids beat the 2021 line but fall short of 2025. And it takes an efficient machine to even beat the 2016 threshold. Unless carmakers are hiding some major fuel-economy magic, we're about to see a lot more hybrids and three-cylinder engines.

Mileage Leaders, Mileage Losers

These six automakers hold the strongest and weakest positions in the fight for higher fuel economy, based on their 2014 CAFE requirements and fleet averages. While Toyota cars are second only to Tesla when it comes to exceeding the CAFE target, we omitted that brand because Toyota trucks are 0.8 mpg below the current requirement.

The 54.5-mpg CAFE Target Looms Large—Here's How Companies Currently Stack Up