Performance engines have become more powerful while average engine size has fallen. The 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report records average new-vehicle output rising from 137 hp in model year 1975 to 258 hp in 2024, while average 0-to-60 time fell from 15.6 seconds in 1980 to 7.5 seconds in 2024. These are production averages, so they describe the new-vehicle market rather than the quickest individual cars.
Contents
- Long-run horsepower and acceleration
- Smaller engines, higher specific power
- How engine technology changed
- The 2024 propulsion mix
- Manufacturer performance benchmarks
- Vehicle type, economy, and performance context
Long-run horsepower and acceleration
The long-term pattern is clear: average new vehicles now deliver substantially more output and quicker acceleration than the typical new vehicle of the 1970s and 1980s. The EPA series reports 137 hp for model year 1975. Average output then measured 104 hp in 1980, 135 hp in 1990, 181 hp in 2000, 214 hp in 2010, 246 hp in 2020, and 258 hp in 2024. The 2025 figure is preliminary at 264 hp. 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report
Acceleration improved alongside output. Average new-vehicle 0-to-60 time was 15.6 seconds in 1980 and 11.5 seconds in 1990. It reached 9.8 seconds in 2000, 8.8 seconds in 2010, 7.8 seconds in 2020, and 7.5 seconds in 2024. The preliminary 2025 estimate is 7.3 seconds. These acceleration figures are model-year averages, not track-test results for a selected performance trim. 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report
| Model year | Average output | Average 0-to-60 |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 104 hp | 15.6 seconds |
| 1990 | 135 hp | 11.5 seconds |
| 2000 | 181 hp | 9.8 seconds |
| 2010 | 214 hp | 8.8 seconds |
| 2020 | 246 hp | 7.8 seconds |
| 2024 | 258 hp | 7.5 seconds |
| 2025 preliminary | 264 hp | 7.3 seconds |
The series also shows why horsepower alone does not describe the whole performance story. Output increased from 214 hp in 2010 to 258 hp in 2024, while the average 0-to-60 time improved from 8.8 to 7.5 seconds. Vehicle mass, gearing, traction, transmissions, and electric assistance can all affect acceleration, but the supplied EPA data reports the market averages rather than attributing the change to any one factor.
Smaller engines, higher specific power
Average engine displacement was nearly 300 cubic inches in model year 1975. By 2024, the average new-vehicle engine displacement was 159 cubic inches. At the same time, average gasoline-engine displacement has remained about 34 cubic inches per cylinder since 1980. This combination points to a market with fewer cylinders and smaller total engines than the 1975 baseline, even as average output rose. 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report
Specific power captures the change more directly than total horsepower. The EPA report says specific power for new gasoline engines increased by more than two times between model years 1975 and 2024. For new non-hybrid, non-plug-in-hybrid gasoline engines, specific power increased by about 0.02 hp per cubic inch per year over the 50-year series.
Fuel-use measures also changed. Fuel consumption per unit of displacement for non-hybrid gasoline engines was about 7% lower in 2024 than in 1975. Fuel consumption per horsepower for those engines fell by more than 70% between 1975 and 2024. These are series-level comparisons, and the report distinguishes non-hybrid gasoline engines for these measures; they should not be read as a claim that every engine or vehicle improved by the same percentage. 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report
How engine technology changed
The 2024 production mix shows that performance-engine technology is not limited to large-displacement engines. Gasoline direct injection appeared in 56.2% of all new vehicles. Gasoline direct/port injection accounted for another 23.3%. Almost 90% of the model-year 2024 fleet used gasoline multi-valve engines. These technology shares describe installation across production, not necessarily the share of horsepower produced by each system. 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report
Turbocharging was also widespread: gasoline turbocharged engines accounted for more than 44% of all vehicle production in model year 2024. Most gasoline turbocharged engines that year were four-cylinder engines. Four-cylinder gasoline engines captured 60% of the market, reinforcing the connection between compact engine architecture and modern output. Cylinder deactivation was used in 13% of all new vehicles.
Stop/start technology was used in 58% of new gasoline non-hybrid vehicles in 2024. The propulsion breakdown gives a closely related figure of 57.6% for gasoline internal-combustion vehicles with stop/start. The small difference reflects the report’s separate denominators and categories; the broader technology-adoption statement should not be treated as an exact duplicate of the propulsion-share figure. 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report
The 2024 propulsion mix
Model-year 2024 production included several propulsion categories. Gasoline internal-combustion vehicles without stop/start represented 17.2% of production, while gasoline internal-combustion vehicles with stop/start represented 57.6%. Mild hybrids accounted for 5.3%, strong hybrids for 9.5%, plug-in hybrids for 2.5%, and battery-electric vehicles for 7.2%. Diesel internal-combustion vehicles represented 0.7%.
| Model-year 2024 category | Share of production |
|---|---|
| Gasoline ICE, no stop/start | 17.2% |
| Gasoline ICE, with stop/start | 57.6% |
| Mild hybrid | 5.3% |
| Strong hybrid | 9.5% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 2.5% |
| Battery electric | 7.2% |
| Diesel ICE | 0.7% |
The 2024 fleet averaged 4.7 cylinders per vehicle. That average sits alongside the 60% market share for four-cylinder gasoline engines and the report’s finding that most turbocharged gasoline engines were four-cylinder units. It is a production snapshot, not a forecast of the future propulsion mix. 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report
Manufacturer performance benchmarks
Manufacturer averages show how different product mixes can produce different performance profiles. BMW’s model-year 2024 production averaged 345 hp and 5.9 seconds from 0 to 60 mph. Mercedes averaged 332 hp and 5.7 seconds. Ford averaged 303 hp and 6.8 seconds, while GM averaged 277 hp and 7.6 seconds.
Among the manufacturers listed in the report, Honda averaged 202 hp and 7.9 seconds. Hyundai averaged 214 hp and 7.9 seconds, Kia averaged 212 hp and 8.1 seconds, and Mazda averaged 213 hp and 8.6 seconds. The figures are production averages, so they combine the vehicles in each manufacturer’s model-year 2024 output rather than ranking individual engines.
| Manufacturer | Average horsepower | Average 0-to-60 |
|---|---|---|
| BMW | 345 hp | 5.9 seconds |
| Mercedes | 332 hp | 5.7 seconds |
| Ford | 303 hp | 6.8 seconds |
| GM | 277 hp | 7.6 seconds |
| Hyundai | 214 hp | 7.9 seconds |
| Mazda | 213 hp | 8.6 seconds |
| Kia | 212 hp | 8.1 seconds |
| Honda | 202 hp | 7.9 seconds |
These averages are useful for comparing broad manufacturer portfolios, but they do not isolate body style, drivetrain, cylinder count, or turbocharger configuration. A manufacturer’s average can move with its sales mix even if the specifications of a particular performance engine do not change.
Vehicle type, economy, and performance context
Vehicle type remains an important context for engine statistics. In model year 2024, sedan and wagon production averaged 33.5 mpg of estimated real-world fuel economy. Car SUVs averaged 39.2 mpg, while truck SUVs averaged 25.7 mpg. Minivan and van production averaged 26.1 mpg, and pickups averaged 20.5 mpg.
| Vehicle type | Estimated real-world fuel economy |
|---|---|
| Car SUV | 39.2 mpg |
| Sedan/wagon | 33.5 mpg |
| Minivan/van | 26.1 mpg |
| Truck SUV | 25.7 mpg |
| Pickup | 20.5 mpg |
The report labels these as estimated real-world fuel-economy averages. They should not be substituted for laboratory ratings, and they are not direct measures of engine efficiency alone. Vehicle shape, size, weight, drivetrain, gearing, and use all sit around the engine in the final result. The gap between 39.2 mpg for car SUVs and 20.5 mpg for pickups therefore supplies market context for interpreting horsepower and turbocharging figures.
Taken together, the EPA’s 1975–2024 series describes a performance market that moved toward higher output, quicker average acceleration, smaller displacement, and greater use of injection, turbocharging, multi-valve layouts, and electrified propulsion. The 2025 values are preliminary, while the 2024 fuel-economy values are estimated real-world averages; keeping those qualifications attached is essential when comparing performance engines across model years.