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Fuel Economy

EPA is responsible for providing the fuel economy data that is used by consumers and various government organizations to administer the following national fuel economy programs:

  • Fuel Economy Estimates are printed on labels affixed to the windows of new cars and trucks to allow consumers to compare the fuel economy of different vehicles.


  • Department of Energy (DOE), in conjunction with EPA, publishes the fuel economy estimates in the annual Fuel Economy Guide. Exit EPA disclaimer


  • Department of Transportation (DOT) administers the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program.


  • Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assesses and collects Gas Guzzler taxes from manufacturers whose cars have fuel economy below the specified limits.

On this page, you will find:

Information for Consumers: Fuel economy information for consumers.
Regulations and Standards: Details about the laws that govern fuel economy testing and reporting, and how federal agencies work to enforce those laws.
Data and Testing: Historical raw test data from EPA's fuel economy test database.

Information for Consumers

About PDF Files

Regulations and Standards

  • EPA's regulations giving instructions on how to test vehicles, measure, calculate and report fuel economy information are found in the Code of Federal Regulations, CFR Part 600 (1995) Fuel Economy Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year Automobiles (270K PDF, 65 pages).

  • Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Exit EPA disclaimer requires vehicle manufacturers to comply with the gas mileage, or fuel economy, standards set by the DOT. CAFE values are obtained by combining the city and highway fuel economy test results and computing an average which is weighted by vehicle sales. Tests are conducted in a laboratory by operating vehicles on a dynamometer. EPA administers the testing program that generates the fuel economy data and determines the procedures for calculating the fuel economy values for CAFE. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), part of DOT, is authorized to assess penalties based on the information EPA supplies and to modify the standards.

  • The Gas Guzzler Tax is imposed on manufacturers on the sale of new model year cars (not minivans, sport utility vehicles or pick-up trucks) whose fuel economy fails to meet required levels, to discourage the production and purchase of fuel inefficient vehicles. The fuel economy figures used to determine the tax are different from the fuel economy values provided in the Fuel Economy Guide. The tax is collected by the Internal Revenue Service and paid by the manufacturer. The amount of the tax is displayed on the vehicle’s fuel economy label (the window sticker on new cars).

  • Bluewater Network Petition
    The environmental group, Bluewater Network has petitioned EPA to revise its methods for calculating the fuel economy estimates posted on the window stickers and published in the annual Fuel Economy Guide. The following documents provide background:

Data and Testing

Fuel Economy Guide data is derived from vehicle testing performed by EPA by vehicle manufacturers who submit their own test data to EPA. EPA also performs a small amount of testing to confirm the manufacturer results. Each year, EPA provides the data to the various government organizations that are responsible for administering fuel economy programs.

For more information, contact us at omscfeis@epa.gov.

 2005 Fuel Economy Data

EPA has released data for 2005 model vehicles, now published in the Fuel Economy Guide. Exit EPA disclaimer

October 7, 2004, Press Release

Fuel Economy Fact Sheet (EPA420-F-04-053, October 2004)

Highest Models Overall

Lowest Models Overall

Highest Models within Class (such as pickups, station wagons, and SUVs)

Lowest Models within Class

2001-2005 Highest & Lowest Overall

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