Comparison of fuel-efficiency technology deployment in passenger cars in China, Europe, and the United States

This briefing compares the fleet characteristics and fuel-efficiency technology deployment in China, Europe and the U.S. from 2010 to 2014. In addition, the briefing evaluates the response of the passenger vehicle market in China to the country’s fuel efficiency standards.

China, the United States, and the European Union have all enacted regulations to reduce the fuel consumption of light-duty vehicles. Fuel consumption standards have been adopted by all three regions. These standards have become increasingly stringent during the past few years, driving manufactures to adopt advanced technology to reduce fuel consumption. This briefing provides insights into the trends of technology deployment in response to the latest standards in China, the U.S. and the EU from 2010 to 2014. All regions showed rapid technology diffusions in target years, which indicates the development was a response by vehicle manufacturers to the increasingly stringent fuel consumption standards. Nevertheless, this briefing also summarizes the differences in the mix of technologies in three regions.