WASHINGTON - For the fifth consecutive year, fuel efficiency has increased with a corresponding decrease in average carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions for new cars and light-duty trucks, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) annual report, "Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 through 2009".    

This is the first time data for CO₂ emissions are included in the report.

For 2008, the last year for which EPA has final data from automakers, the average fuel economy value was 21 mpg.  EPA projects a small improvement in 2009, based on pre-model year sales estimates provided to EPA by automakers, to 21.1 mpg.

The report confirms that average CO₂ emissions have decreased and fuel economy has increased each year beginning in 2005. Average CO₂ emissions have decreased by 39 grams per mile, or 8 percent, and average fuel economy has increased by 1.8 mpg, or 9 percent, since 2004. This positive trend beginning in 2005 reverses a long period of increasing CO₂ emissions and decreasing fuel economy from 1987 through 2004, and returns CO₂ emissions and fuel economy to levels of the early 1980s.

The report also provides data on the CO₂ emissions, fuel economy, and technology characteristics of new light-duty vehicles including cars, minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickup trucks. 

The latest CO₂ emissions and fuel economy values reflect EPA's best estimates of real world CO₂ emissions and fuel economy performance. They are consistent with the fuel economy estimates that EPA provides on new vehicle window stickers and in the Fuel Economy Guide. These real world fuel economy values are about 20 percent lower, on average, than those used for compliance with the corporate average fuel economy program under the Department of Transportation (DOT).

More information on the trends report is available at the EPA Web site.