The 2015 Ford F-150 nearly meets Corporate Average Fuel Economy rules automakers are expected to meet by 2025, Wards Auto reports. The full-size pickup returns 19 MPG city and 26 MPG highway when equipped with the optional 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine, enough to meet CAFE rules through to 2024 with no modification.
Christopher Grundler of the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality brought the fact to light as he spoke at the recent CAR Management Briefing Seminars in Michigan. Grundler is irked by reports in the media suggesting the increased popularity of pickups and SUVs may create problems for automakers as they attempt to meet 2025’s CAFE standards, saying most automakers are outperforming the EPA’s mileage expectations.
Automakers will need to have a fleet-wide fuel economy average of 54.5 MPG by 2025, however different segments have different minimum fuel economy standards. A 30 MPG average for full-size pickups like the F-150 must be achieved by 2025, and Grundler says that could be achieved by automakers simply using more advanced gasoline-engine technologies.
The current CAFE standards are up for a midterm review in April of 2016, and according to a WardsSurvey of the automotive design and engineering community, more stringent rules will likely be applied. Regulators did not take into account the advantages 9- and 10-speed transmissions will present when first outlining the 2025 standards, Grundler told Wards, nor did they consider the effect a high percentage of EVs may have on fleet-wide averages.
“We are looking at economic issues, employment and what new technologies are available,” Grundler said. “We’re paying close attention to the marketplace, fleet-mix changes and technology penetration.”
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