New vehicle fuel economy for passenger cars is forecasted to increase 43 percent between 2015 and 2025, according the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) annual energy report.
Economy will increase from 31 miles per gallon (mpg) to 45 mpg thanks to stringent fuel standards.
For new on-road light truck, fuel economy is expected to increase 46 percent from 21 mpg to 31 mpg.
The report takes into account that vehicles may be driven for many years and sales of new vehicles are a small percentage of light-duty vehicles.
Fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards are set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Standards for passenger cars are stricter than light trucks and are determined by the vehicle footprint, the area between where the tires touch the ground.
“Nearly all of this energy consumption is gasoline, with gasoline consumption by light-duty vehicles projected to fall from 8.7 million barrels per day in 2017 to 7.5 million barrels per day in 2025,” the EIA said.
Last year, light-duty vehicles traveled a record 2.84 trillion miles, an average of 12,000 miles per vehicle. This increase is attributed to a rise in the number of vehicles on the road. By 2040, miles traveled are projected to reach 3.33 trillion.