Model Year 2023 Automotive Trends

[OneLonelyBurrito]

The EPA recently released its automotive trends report for the 2023 model year.

The highlights are all vehicle mpg for the 2023 model year was 27.1mpg (319g/mi, real world), that includes BEVs and PHEVs. For MY2022 it was 26.0mpg (337g/mi, real world). Without BEVs and PHEVs the MY2023 number is 24.9mpg or 357g/mi (real world) and only improved (decreased) by 1.4g/mi from the previous year. The only not exclusive EV manufacturer to hit their standard for CO2 emissions was BMW. Their target was 200g/mi (compliance) and met that target. As an entire industry, the target was 212g/mi (compliance) and the overall performance was 215g/mi (compliance). The preliminary number for 2024 is 28.0mpg, 305g/mi (real world) (including BEVs & PHEVs), so the trend of increase fuel economy is expected to continue for 2024, probably mostly from BEVs and PHEVs.

Real world is derived from the 5-cycle testing. Compliance is based off the 2-cycle testing and includes off-cycle credits manufacturers, for example changing to 1234yf instead 134a refrigerent gives them a credit towards their compliance g/mi performance.

Here’s a link to the Executive Summary and the Full Report.

 

[Cujet]

Interesting information to digest. The improvements in overall efficiency battle weight. Although Ford's F150 is a lightweight compared to the steel versions, as much as 700 pounds less.

The HP graph also shows a nice bump in power. I'm sure the 1000HP EVs offset the 149HP Nissan Sentra, which have pretty much the same power to weight as earlier similarly sized cars. So maybe it's not quite as impressive as it might seem. Starting the graph in '75, a known low point, is also a bit misleading as there were very powerful cars available before that.

However, I'm thrilled to report that my 2025 5.0 V8 F150 4x4 returns 18MPG on my kind of highway trip. Far better than the 13.5 of my prev F150 V8. I now spend about $1,000 less in fuel per year. The best the prev truck could do was 16.5MPG, and that required non ethanol fuel, and a strict 65MPH cruise with the AC off. The new truck achieves best mpg on 93oct and does slightly worse on E-0 90 oct.

 

[OneLonelyBurrito]

Interesting information to digest. The improvements in overall efficiency battle weight. Although Ford's F150 is a lightweight compared to the steel versions, as much as 700 pounds less.

The HP graph also shows a nice bump in power. I'm sure the 1000HP EVs offset the 149HP Nissan Sentra, which have pretty much the same power to weight as earlier similarly sized cars. So maybe it's not quite as impressive as it might seem. Starting the graph in '75, a known low point, is also a bit misleading as there were very powerful cars available before that.

However, I'm thrilled to report that my 2025 5.0 V8 F150 4x4 returns 18MPG on my kind of highway trip. Far better than the 13.5 of my prev F150 V8. I now spend about $1,000 less in fuel per year. The best the prev truck could do was 16.5MPG, and that required non ethanol fuel, and a strict 65MPH cruise with the AC off. The new truck achieves best mpg on 93oct and does slightly worse on E-0 90 oct.

Starting the graph at 1975 seems right to me. Its basically the beginning of when vehicle emissions were getting cleaned up and when consumers really started caring more about fuel economy. Plus around that time is when advertised horsepower numbers became net horsepower instead of gross horsepower. So it would be harder to compare before that.

Looking at the graph for pickup trucks g/mi CO2, its showing 20.5mpg (432g/mi) real world average. When as if you look at the g/mi of pickup truck around 2005 they were about ~580g/mi or ~15mpg. So truck, manufacturers have me a concerted effort to improve MPG.