While pickup trucks account for just 20% of United States vehicle sales, six of the 10 biggest gas-guzzlers at the pump are pickups, according to a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists (USC).
The study, which looked at the 50 most popular trucks and cars, found that Dodge Ram owners paid the most for fuel — an average $1,468 a year. That's $250 more than the average light-truck driver and almost $13,000 in total fuel costs over the life of the vehicle.
“Pickup drivers are disproportionately burdened at the gas pump,” said USC senior analyst David Friedman, who wrote the study. USC is a group that lobbies for what it terms “practical environmental solutions.”
Friedman said off-the-shelf technology could raise the gasoline mileage of light trucks by 30%, saving the average driver more than $300 a year in gasoline costs. However, US automakers have warned that significantly raising fuel standards would be costly and may result in less-safe vehicles that are made from lighter-weight materials.
The report's fuel costs are based on a gasoline cost of $1.40 a gallon and a vehicle driven 15,000 miles a year.
“Automakers have fallen asleep at the wheel on fuel economy,” said Friedman. “It's time for manufacturers to give pickup drivers the gas mileage performance they want and deserve.”
A national survey released by the Mellman Group found that 76% of pickup drivers support a boost in vehicle fuel standards. Another 87% said they would be willing to pay $500 more for a new, higher-mileage, pickup truck if they could save $2,000 in gasoline costs over the life of the truck.
Of the 600 pickup drivers surveyed, 57% lived in small towns and rural areas.
Under a broad energy bill approved by the US Senate, pickups would be exempt from any future increases in federal vehicle fuel standards, but a related energy bill passed by the House of Representatives contained no such provision.
Senate and House negotiators are to resume hammering out differences in their energy bills. They will also tackle whether to require a small boost in overall vehicle mileage requirements in the final bill.