Grade level: 5 – 6th grades

Skills: Bar graph

Related environmental issues: Energy & Climate Change

While former President Obama set high fuel efficiency* target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our vehicles,  the Trump administration has been trying to loosen the target, saying that the Obama’s target is “too high”. With higher fuel efficiency target, vehicles will be able to run more miles on a gallon of gasoline, and greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles will decrease.

The bar graph above shows fuel efficiency target on model year 2020 passenger cars set by 8 countries / areas.

1. Among the 8 countries / areas, which country set the highest fuel efifciency target?
2. Among the 8 countries / areas, which country set the lowest fuel efifciency target?
3. Which county has the same fuel efficiency target as the United States?
4. Among the 8 countries, how many countries set higher fuel efficiency target than the United States?

Note) Fuel efficiency is a measure of how many miles a vehicle can travel on a gallon of gasoline. Fuel efficient vehicles need less gasoline to go a given distance.

Note2) Japan already achieved the target by 2013. (Global Fuel Economy Initiative, 2014. Fuel Economy State of the World 2014)

Source) The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), 2017. 2017 Global update: Light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards