Global Vehicle Fuel Efficiency is Stalling Out

Courtesy of ENERGYminute  

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Average fuel consumption of new light-duty vehicles, 2005-2019
litres of gasoline equivalent

 

Courtesy of The IEA

A recent joint report between the Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicates that, in recent years, only minor improvements have been seen regarding the fuel efficiency of vehicles compared to previous progress.

By the numbers: The report details how the average fuel consumption rate of new light-duty vehicles fell by just 0.9 percent from 2017 to 2019, far below the average 1.8 percent drop between 2010 and 2015.

• The GFEI, a partnership between a number of organizations including the United Nations and a few other partners including the IEA, aims to improve the fuel economy of all road vehicles. Given their goal, the group is like our parents: they’re not mad about the stalling results… just disappointed. (Sorry mom!)

An intriguing point: According to the report, increasing vehicle size and power has eroded as much as 40 percent of the fuel consumption improvements that would otherwise have occurred thanks to technical advances in vehicles and engines.

Bottom line: While technological advancement is important, the report highlights that consumer behavior is the true driver of change. Incentives for fuel-efficient vehicles may be the solution to improve fuel economy which has been stalling out.

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