Manufacturers have been adopting a wide array of technologies to improve the efficiency of light-duty vehicles.
February 26, 2024
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Manufacturers have been adopting a wide array of technologies to improve the efficiency of light-duty vehicles. Gasoline direct injection (GDI), a system that injects the gasoline directly into the combustion chamber, has seen the highest level of adoption, reaching 73% of vehicles produced for the 2023 model year. Turbo charging, which forces air into the engine to boost power, is often paired with GDI to maximize engine output from smaller displacement engines, reached 37% in 2023. Fifty-nine percent of vehicles produced had transmissions with 7 or more gears while 26% were fitted with continuously variable transmissions. Gasoline hybrid vehicles accounted for 10% of light-duty vehicles, while plug-in hybrid, all-electric, and fuel cell vehicles accounted for a combined total of 7% of light-duty vehicle production.
Notes: GDI includes vehicles that use both GDI and port fuel injection. Data are based on manufacturer plans or projections and are preliminary.
GDI = Gasoline direct injection
CVT = Continuously variable transmission
Hybrid = Gasoline hybrid that cannot be plugged in
PHEV = Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
EV = All-electric vehicle
FCV = Fuel cell vehicle
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, The 2023 EPA Automotive Trends Report, EPA-42-R-23-033, December 2023.