U.S. Lags Behind Japan, Europe in Emissions and Efficiency

A study released by automotive-data firm JATO Dynamics highlights just how woefully far behind the United States is when it comes to the emissions and efficiency standards of its cars when compared to Europe and Japan.

In the past year, Europe has decreased its automotive carbon emissions for new cars by an average of 0.11 tons per car, while Japan has pushed the mark back by 0.06 tons. Europe’s biggest markets — France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK — are averaging CO2 emissions for new cars of 3.26 tons per year since the beginning of this year, based on 12,000 miles per year. Japan’s figure is at 3.10 tons per year for new cars.

The average carbon emissions for a new car, minivan or SUV in the U.S.? It’s 5.77 tons per year over the same period.

While the average fuel efficiency for all cars, minivans and SUVs in Europe and Japan hovers at just over 40 mpg, the average in the U.S. stands at 22.6 mpg. That figure does not include the truck market.

JATO contributes this to low U.S. gas prices (even when they were over $4 per gallon, that was cheap compared to Europe), a historic inclination toward larger vehicles by consumers, and a poor selection of fuel-efficient vehicles on the market. The Europeans and Japanese, meanwhile, have been building smaller cars and far more diesels.

While the American auto industry struggles to find its feet before the noose tightens further, these numbers offer a sober assessment of how far the U.S. has to go to catch up in emissions and efficiency standards.

U.S. Car Market ‘Half’ as Green (JATO Dynamics)