The Environmental Performance of Car Companies

The 2018 Automaker Rankings by the Union of Concerned Scientists analyzes the emissions of new vehicles sold in the U.S., finding that while average emissions have reached record lows, the pace of reduction is slowing. The report identifies Honda as the top-performing full-line manufacturer and Tesla as the overall leader, while noting that the 'Detroit Three' (Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler) continue to lag behind the industry average. The analysis highlights a conflict between industry lobbying for weaker standards and the available technological capacity to further reduce fuel use and emissions.

• Average emissions from new vehicles have reached a record low, but the rate of improvement is decelerating. Some manufacturers have seen emissions flatline or increase; for instance, Toyota's average vehicle in 2017 produced more global warming emissions than those it sold in 2013.
• There is a significant disparity in environmental performance across the industry. Tesla is the overall top performer, while among full-line manufacturers, Honda has the lowest average emissions. Conversely, the 'Detroit Three'—Fiat Chrysler (FCA), General Motors, and Ford—rank well below the industry average, with FCA being the worst performing full-line manufacturer.
• The industry-wide shift in sales from cars to SUVs has contributed to the slowdown in emissions reductions. While some companies like Honda have reduced emissions despite increasing SUV sales, others like Toyota have failed to improve the efficiency of the SUV segment, leading to a lack of overall progress.
• Fuel economy has improved across every vehicle class since 2009, with the most significant gains seen in midsize cars and small SUVs. However, many cost-effective technologies to reduce fuel use remain under-deployed across the general fleet.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2018). The Environmental Performance of Car Companies. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/06/cv-automaker-rankings-2018-ES.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. The Environmental Performance of Car Companies. 2018. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/06/cv-automaker-rankings-2018-ES.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=The Environmental Performance of Car Companies |date=June 2018 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/06/cv-automaker-rankings-2018-ES.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2018environmental, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{The Environmental Performance of Car Companies}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2018}, month = jun, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/06/cv-automaker-rankings-2018-ES.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }