Why bigger is better for automakers
| Expanding 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 | ||||||
| Footprint | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2021 | 2025 | |
| 2015 Civic | 43.4 sq. feet | 37.4 | 39 | 41.4 | 48.2 | 57.9 |
| 2016 Civic | 45.2 sq. feet | 36.1 | 37.7 | 39.9 | 46.5 | 55.8 |
| 2016 LaCrosse | 48.0 sq. feet | 34.3 | 35.7 | 37.7 | 43.9 | 52.7 |
| 2017 LaCrosse | 50.1 sq. feet | 33 | 34.3 | 36.3 | 42.2 | 50.7 |
| 2016 E class | 49.2 sq. feet | 33.5 | 34.9 | 36.8 | 42.9 | 51.5 |
| 2017 E class | 50.8 sq. feet | 32.6 | 33.9 | 35.8 | 41.7 | 50 |
| NOTE: 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?
