The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released its 2023 Automotive Trends Report, which includes insights into new light-duty vehicle fuel economy figures, greenhouse gas emissions, technology, and manufacturer compliance. The report lists data dating all the way back to 1975, providing valuable comparisons for the modern fleet of vehicles produced for the 2022 model year. Naturally, the report includes GM vehicles as well.
With regard to greenhouse gas emissions, GM had the second-worst average real-world CO2 emissions among all the manufacturers studied at 406 g/mi, an 8 g/mi reduction compared to the automaker’s real-world CO2 average for the 2021 model year. Stellantis was the worst-ranked automaker for the 2022 model year at 415 g/mi, while the average for all manufacturers was 337 g/mi for the 2022 model year. The top-ranked manufacturer for the 2022 model year was Hyundai at 302 g/mi (with the exception of Tesla, which obviously had 0 g/mi).
In terms of fuel economy for the 2022 model year, GM had the second-lowest average at 22 mpg, an increase of 0.4 mpg compared to the 2021 model year. Stellantis had the lowest average fuel economy for the 2022 model year at 21.3 mpg, while Hyundai had the highest among ICE-vehicle manufacturers at 29.1 mpg.
Interestingly, the report indicates that the average new-vehicle horsepower rating for the 2022 model year was at a record 259 horsepower, an increase from 253 horsepower for the 2021 model year. The EPA estimates a preliminary value of 272 horsepower for the 2023 model year. Compared to the average horsepower figure for the 1975 model year (137 horsepower), the average horsepower figure for the 2022 model year was up a whopping 88 percent. Compared to the average horsepower figure for the 1981 model year (102 horsepower), the 2022 figure was up 153 percent.
New vehicles are also trending towards larger and larger footprints (the footprint is defined as the vehicle wheelbase times average track width), with a 5.1-percent increase between the 2008 model year and 2022 model year. With regard to performance for the 2022 model year, GM recorded an average horsepower rating of 276 horsepower and a 0-to-60 mph time of 7.6 seconds, with an average vehicle weight of 4,686 pounds and a footprint of 56 square feet. The average among all manufacturers studied was 259 horsepower, 7.6 seconds to 60 mph, 4,303 pounds, and 51.6 square feet.
Finally, the report indicates that GM’s body style production mix stood at 11 percent sedans/wagons, 14 percent crossovers, 38 percent SUVs, and 37 percent pickups.
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Comments
So sad that we’ve made so little progress over so many years. This article is trying hard to put a positive spin on it, but it’s just sad. People are getting fatter and fatter. Vehicles, thanks to SUV’s and trucks, are getting fatter and fatter. The fact that GM isn’t much better than where it was in 1990 is pathetic. Too bad gas prices are going down again because I think the only thing that will curb this gluttonous waste of fuel will be to have $6.00 per gallon on average in the US. Until then, people will just keep porking out and driving with no regard to anything else.
More trucks are sold than ever and cars, especially at GM and Ford are nearly non existent.
That said, GM likes to make all these efficiency claims when the reality is their EV and high fuel economy vehicles are non existent. If it wasn’t for trucks and tahoe’s they would be out of business.
Always have an LOL moment when manufacturers use the “vehicle growth” excuse of “we only build what our customers want to buy”. When in fact, if they are NOT BUILDING more economical, environmentally friendly vehicles, then customers CAN’T BUY them.
I always have an LOL moment when manufacturers use the “vehicle growth” excuse of “we only build what our customers want to buy”. When in fact, if they are NOT BUILDING more economical, environmentally friendly vehicles, then customers CAN’T BUY them.
Who cares… The EPA is run by the corrupt left wing deep state that is regulating American industries out of business….
Yeah, that mystical, corrupt, left-wing deep state did it again. I’m sure that the right-wing CEOs who moved US production to China killing thousands of businesses and millions of jobs to fatten their annual bonuses had nothing to do with the decline of American manufacturing.
I mean, when all GM does is pump out mostly trucks and large or full size SUVs, its not gonna be a good average. Malibu is the only car left, no hybrids in the lineup, all the small 3 and 4 cylinder SUVs are EPA average rated about 28-31mpg combined MPG. I’m not surprised at Hyundai’s score as they have lots of fuel efficient and hybrid products.
Hey Joe, It was left wing Bill Clinton that approved NAFTA allowing U.S. companies to offshore their manufacturing!
Always amused to read how freely people like to announce, and sometimes even try to weaponize, the political preferences of others, but not discuss their own.