SUV fuel economy has changed substantially across U.S. model years, but the answer depends on whether an SUV is classified as a car SUV or truck SUV. EPA real-world fuel economy is an estimated measure distinct from the window-sticker value, and electric vehicles use mpg-equivalent methodology.
Key SUV Fuel Economy Statistics
The most useful figures span long-term production, recent model years, and manufacturer-level differences:
- In model year 1975, car SUVs were 0.1% of U.S. new light-duty-vehicle production and averaged 11.1 real-world mpg.
- In model year 1975, truck SUVs were 1.7% of U.S. new light-duty-vehicle production and averaged 11.0 real-world mpg.
- In model year 1995, truck SUVs reached 10.5% of U.S. new light-duty-vehicle production and averaged 16.0 mpg.
- In model year 2000, truck SUVs reached 15.2% of U.S. new light-duty-vehicle production and averaged 16.0 mpg.
- In model year 2022, car SUVs represented 10.0% of U.S. new light-duty-vehicle production and averaged 28.0 mpg.
- In model year 2022, truck SUVs represented 44.0% of U.S. new light-duty-vehicle production and averaged 24.0 mpg.
- In model year 2023, car SUVs represented 12.5% of U.S. new light-duty-vehicle production and averaged 29.8 mpg.
- In model year 2023, truck SUVs represented 45.4% of U.S. new light-duty-vehicle production and averaged 24.7 mpg.
- In model year 2024, car SUVs represented 10.6% of U.S. new light-duty-vehicle production and averaged 39.2 mpg.
- In model year 2024, truck SUVs represented 49.6% of U.S. new light-duty-vehicle production and averaged 25.7 mpg.
- Preliminary model-year 2025 data put car SUVs at 11.6% of U.S. new light-duty-vehicle production and 37.6 mpg.
- Preliminary model-year 2025 data put truck SUVs at 48.3% of U.S. new light-duty-vehicle production and 26.3 mpg.
- In model year 2023, BEVs accounted for 36% of U.S. car-SUV production.
- From model year 2012 to 2022, the EPA truck regulatory class rose from 36% to 63% of U.S. new-vehicle production.
- In model year 2023, cars were 38% and trucks were 62% of U.S. new vehicles under EPA greenhouse-gas regulations.
- In model year 2023, car-SUV average real-world CO2 emissions fell by 60 g/mi, or 24%, from 2022.
- From model year 2022 to 2023, the combined U.S. production share of BEVs, PHEVs, and fuel-cell vehicles rose from 6.7% to 11.5%.
- For model year 2024, the combined BEV, PHEV, and fuel-cell production category was projected at 14.8% of U.S. new-vehicle production.
- In model year 2023, BEVs and PHEVs together improved U.S. new-vehicle fuel economy by 2.2 mpg compared with a fleet result excluding them.
- Since model year 2004, U.S. new-vehicle fuel economy increased 40%, or 7.8 mpg, by model year 2023.
Contents
- SUV fuel economy statistics since 1975
- Recent SUV fuel economy trends by model year
- SUV production share and vehicle-class changes
- 2024 car SUV fuel economy by manufacturer
- 2024 truck SUV fuel economy by manufacturer
- Electric and hybrid effects on SUV fuel economy
SUV Fuel Economy Statistics Since 1975
EPA separates car SUVs and truck SUVs through regulatory classifications. Those groups should not be treated as one identical SUV population, and the figures below describe U.S. new light-duty-vehicle production.
| Model year | Car SUV production share | Car SUV real-world mpg | Truck SUV production share | Truck SUV real-world mpg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 0.1% | 11.1 | 1.7% | 11.0 |
| 1985 | 0.6% | 20.1 | 4.5% | 16.5 |
| 1995 | 1.5% | 17.8 | 10.5% | 16.0 |
| 2000 | 3.7% | 17.9 | 15.2% | 16.0 |
Source: The 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report: Fuel Economy, and Technology since 1975, which identifies the values as estimated real-world fuel economy and EPA vehicle-type classifications.
The historical record shows a much larger production-share increase for truck SUVs than for car SUVs through 2000. Car-SUV fuel economy reached 20.1 mpg in 1985 before the reported 17.8 mpg average in 1995, while truck SUVs moved from 11.0 mpg in 1975 to 16.0 mpg in 1995 and 2000.
Recent SUV Fuel Economy Trends by Model Year
Recent EPA data show both SUV categories gaining production share and fuel economy, although the categories remain materially different.
| Model year | Car SUVs: share and mpg | Truck SUVs: share and mpg | Data status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 10.0%; 28.0 mpg | 44.0%; 24.0 mpg | Final EPA data |
| 2023 | 12.5%; 29.8 mpg | 45.4%; 24.7 mpg | Final EPA data |
| 2024 | 10.6%; 39.2 mpg | 49.6%; 25.7 mpg | Final EPA data |
| 2025 | 11.6%; 37.6 mpg | 48.3%; 26.3 mpg | Preliminary EPA data |
Source: The 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report: Fuel Economy, and Technology since 1975.
The 2024 car-SUV result includes BEV and PHEV fuel economy in EPA mpg-equivalent terms, so it is not a gasoline-only comparison. The model-year 2025 values are preliminary and subject to revision; they should not be presented as final observations.
SUV Production Share and the Shift Toward Larger Vehicle Types
Production share is not sales share, registrations, household ownership, or the share of vehicles currently on the road. It is nevertheless useful for describing the composition of new U.S. light-duty-vehicle production.
The truck regulatory class rose from 36% to 63% of new-vehicle production over the decade ending in model year 2022. That broader class includes truck SUVs, pickups, and minivans or vans, so it is not an SUV-only measure.
In model year 2022, truck SUVs reached a 44% production share, near their record high, while car SUVs accounted for 10%. In model year 2023, cars were 38% and trucks 62% of new vehicles under EPA greenhouse-gas regulations; minivans and vans were below 3% of new-vehicle production.
The 2023 car-SUV mix also included a 36% BEV production share. Average real-world car-SUV CO2 emissions fell by 60 g/mi, or 24%, versus 2022, but CO2 is an emissions measure rather than fuel economy itself.
2024 Car SUV Fuel Economy by Manufacturer
The following EPA manufacturer-by-vehicle-type estimates combine production share within each manufacturer with average car-SUV fuel economy for model year 2024.
| Manufacturer | Car SUVs as share of production | Average car-SUV fuel economy |
|---|---|---|
| BMW | 6.3% | 26.0 mpg |
| Ford | 6.9% | 44.3 mpg |
| GM | 11.0% | 30.3 mpg |
| Honda | 7.4% | 34.8 mpg |
| Hyundai | 25.0% | 35.9 mpg |
| Kia | 17.9% | 41.5 mpg |
| Mercedes | 11.1% | 35.3 mpg |
| Nissan | 8.0% | 32.8 mpg |
| Stellantis | 3.2% | 46.5 mpg |
| Tesla | 60.9% | 113.7 mpg-equivalent |
| Toyota | 9.5% | 31.5 mpg |
| Volkswagen | 10.6% | 37.3 mpg |
Source: The 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report: Fuel Economy, and Technology since 1975. Tesla’s value uses EPA mpg-equivalent treatment for electric vehicles, not gasoline mpg.
Across all manufacturers, car SUVs were 10.6% of U.S. new light-duty-vehicle production and averaged 39.2 mpg in model year 2024. Manufacturer production mix and powertrain composition therefore matter when comparing these averages.
2024 Truck SUV Fuel Economy by Manufacturer
Truck SUVs made up 49.6% of U.S. new light-duty-vehicle production and averaged 25.7 mpg in model year 2024. Manufacturer results ranged from conventional truck-SUV averages in the low 20s to Tesla’s electric mpg-equivalent result.
| Manufacturer | Truck SUVs as share of production | Average truck-SUV fuel economy |
|---|---|---|
| BMW | 50.8% | 26.5 mpg |
| Ford | 46.8% | 22.6 mpg |
| GM | 37.6% | 23.2 mpg |
| Honda | 38.2% | 30.1 mpg |
| Hyundai | 51.6% | 25.7 mpg |
| Kia | 48.0% | 25.9 mpg |
| Mazda | 90.0% | 27.7 mpg |
| Mercedes | 56.8% | 23.0 mpg |
| Nissan | 28.8% | 25.1 mpg |
| Stellantis | 69.8% | 22.7 mpg |
| Subaru | 87.2% | 28.7 mpg |
| Toyota | 45.4% | 28.6 mpg |
| Volkswagen | 65.5% | 24.9 mpg |
| Tesla | 9.1% | 114.8 mpg-equivalent |
Source: The 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report: Fuel Economy, and Technology since 1975. Tesla’s value is electric-vehicle mpg-equivalent, not gasoline mpg.
The production shares also vary widely: Mazda truck SUVs were 90.0% of Mazda production, Subaru truck SUVs were 87.2%, and Nissan truck SUVs were 28.8%. These are manufacturer production mixes, not estimates of each brand’s retail sales or vehicles in operation.
Electric and Hybrid Effects on SUV Fuel Economy
Electrification changes how fuel economy is measured and helps explain why some fleet averages rise sharply. The EPA reported that the combined production share of BEVs, PHEVs, and fuel-cell vehicles increased from 6.7% in model year 2022 to 11.5% in model year 2023, with a 14.8% share projected for model year 2024 across all vehicle types.
For model year 2023, BEVs and PHEVs together lowered average new-vehicle CO2 emissions by 38 g/mi and improved fuel economy by 2.2 mpg compared with EPA’s corresponding fleet result without those vehicles. This is a fleetwide comparison, not an SUV-only result.
Average U.S. new-vehicle real-world fuel economy reached 27.1 mpg in model year 2023, up 1.1 mpg from 2022. Average real-world CO2 emissions reached 319 g/mi, down 18 g/mi from 2022.
Since model year 2004, new-vehicle fuel economy increased 40%, or 7.8 mpg, while CO2 emissions fell 31%, or 142 g/mi, by model year 2023. These are fleetwide EPA comparisons and should not be read as SUV-only changes.
Source: EPA Report Shows US Fuel Economy Hits Record High and CO2 Emissions Reach a Record Low.
Across the SUV data, electric and plug-in vehicles are especially important to interpretation: EPA expresses their results through mpg-equivalent methodology, while production shares identify how much of a manufacturer’s output belongs to each SUV category. Comparing an electric mpg-equivalent figure directly with gasoline mpg without that qualification would misstate what the measure represents.