Why Small Trucks Are Disappearing: The Influence of Cafe Standards

⚙️Cafe standards require automakers to meet specific fuel economy standards, favoring larger vehicles

🚚Small trucks, with their compact size and efficient engines, are not able to meet the stricter fuel economy requirements

📈The graph illustrates how larger vehicles are given more lenient requirements for fuel economy

📊The size of the truck's footprint determines its minimum required miles per gallon

⚡️Electric trucks may provide an opportunity for smaller trucks to make a comeback, as they are not subject to fuel economy standards

Why are small trucks disappearing?

—Cafe standards have inadvertently made it difficult for automakers to produce small trucks that meet the fuel economy requirements

What are cafe standards?

—Cafe standards are fuel economy regulations set by the government to improve the average fuel efficiency of vehicles sold in the United States

What is the impact of cafe standards on small trucks?

—Small trucks, with their compact size and efficient engines, struggle to meet the stricter fuel economy requirements, making them less attractive for automakers

Why do larger vehicles have more lenient fuel economy requirements?

—The size of a vehicle's footprint determines its minimum required miles per gallon, with larger vehicles given more lenient standards

Is there a chance for small trucks to make a comeback?

—Electric trucks, not subject to fuel economy standards, may provide an opportunity for smaller trucks to reemerge in the market

00:00Cafe standards have unintentionally discouraged the production of small trucks

03:06The fuel economy requirements for trucks are based on their footprint, favoring larger vehicles

06:11The government's incentives for larger vehicles have resulted in trucks getting bigger and bigger

09:58Electric trucks may offer a solution for smaller trucks to return to the market