Full-size vans had the highest average on-road fuel economy of all medium and heavy truck types with an average of 10.1 miles per gallon (mpg) in 2021.
May 13, 2024
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Full-size vans had the highest average on-road fuel economy of all medium and heavy truck types with an average of 10.1 miles per gallon (mpg) in 2021. The average fuel economy of medium and heavy trucks is typically below 10 mpg, which presents a good opportunity for fuel savings through electrification or other alternative fuels. Those with fixed routes, such as garbage trucks, which average 4.5 mpg are especially suited to alternative fuel use due to short travel distances, opportunities for regenerative braking from frequent stops, and company operated refueling. Of all the truck types, concrete mixers had the lowest average fuel economy at 4.0 mpg.
Note: Does not include pickups, SUVs, and light vans. Does not include trucks for which body type was not reported.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics; and, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. (2023-12). 2021 Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey Datasets: 2021 Public Use File (PUF). U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics; U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration; U.S. Department of Energy. Accessed January 2024.