Is CAFE making cars bigger?

Why bigger is better for automakersExpanding a car's footprint — the wheelbase multiplied by the track width — gives it a lower fuel-economy target to meet under the CAFE standards negotiated by automakers and regulators. Over the long term, the difference can be more than 2 mpg in a given model year.To illustrate this relationship, here are the prospective targets for 3 recently redesigned models — the Honda Civic, Buick LaCrosse and Mercedes-Benz E-class sedan — based on their footprint, and what the targets would have been if they had stayed the same size in future model years. Cafe targets (mpg) for model years Footprint201520162017202120252015 Civic43.4 sq. feet37.43941.448.257.92016 Civic45.2 sq. feet36.137.739.946.555.8 2016 LaCrosse48.0 sq. feet34.335.737.743.952.72017 LaCrosse50.1 sq. feet3334.336.342.250.7 2016 E class49.2 sq. feet33.534.936.842.951.52017 E class50.8 sq. feet32.633.935.841.750NOTE: Prospective CAFE targets calculated by the Union of Concerned Scientists on behalf of Automotive News WASHINGTON -- The tough fuel-economy standards that took effect in 2012 are getting tougher every year. So why are cars getting bigger?

Is CAFE making cars bigger?

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