If you love data almost as much as you love cars, you’re in for a real treat. The EPA has issued a report [PDF here] on the last 35 years of light-duty vehicle efficiency trends, and it’s jam-packed full of fun graphs detailing the evolution of America’s car market. For example, the fuel-efficiency record of the major US-market players is laid bare in one particularly compelling collection of graphs (above). More detail on by-manufacturer efficiency over the last three years can be found here. Other fun graphs: production breakdowns by vehicle size and type, a comparison of performance and efficiency by vehicle type, and a distribution of vehicles by weight for 1975, 1988 and 2010 (weights dropped from ’75 to ’88, and are now back to nearly 1975 levels). You can also check out production share by weight to find out that the sub-2,750 lb died sometime after the year 2000. You can even see the breakdown of FWD-RWD-AWD by vehicle type and pinpoint the moment that Subaru started making an impact on the market. All told, it’s an automotive data-gasm that will leave you a lot better informed about the state of the US market. And the perfect opportunity to make sweeping generalizations about the American car market. Enjoy!
Does anyone else find it strange that vehicle safety standards have pushed weights up (I know other features have contributed), but that driver licensing has gotten no more rigorous, and you can still drive a motorcycle or an open-topped car on public highways? Does the average vehicle really need to be 4,000 lbs safe? Bring on the carbon fibre, if that’s how it’s got to be, but I never understood why motorcycles are A-OK while thin pillars that enhance outward vision are evil.
I don’t think safety really is responsible, or at least is responsible for the increase in mass.
Weight went up as we were able to make larger cars that still had good mileage and power. The “natural state” of the North American car is big and heavy, and we’re just returning to that, thanks to engine efficiency. There are plenty of very safe small cars, but people aren’t buying them now that you can get a big car without having to suffer with a emissions-strangled powerplant.
Interesting notes on the first graph: Subaru is the only OEM for which the Car & “Truck” mpg ratings are virtually identical.
Also, fun to remember gas prices over same time period… Fact: cheap gas = lower mpg.
Well… Subaru doesn’t really make any trucks… just “SUVs” that are perhaps slightly heavier versions of their cars…
Perhaps I should taken tongue out of cheek?
Subaru’s trucks are lifted large cars.
Tho what qualifies as a “truck” to the Feds is a lot broader than what one would otherwise expect.