[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by ChevyRules

It was BS how if you bought a 5 seater Model Y it was classified as a car. But the 7 seater, it’s now a SUV. The Mach E I believe had a similar BS classification. Bought the RWD version, it’s a car. AWD it’s now an SUV.

Strange negotiations between NHTSA and automotive lobbyists on the way to setting fuel economy regulations. The car companies want to push all SUVs and CUVs into the Truck CAFE fleet. NHTSA wants to put most CUVs and some SUVs in the car fleets. Automakers want as much in the Truck CAFE fleet as they can get because the targets are easier to achieve. The compromise is that there are a set of parameters to define what goes into Truck CAFE and what goes into the Car CAFE fleet.

To go into Truck CAFE it needs to

• have a tailgate (not a trunk)
• have either AWD or 3-row seating or both
• have a flat cargo floor
• have a certain ground clearance (I’m too lazy to look up that exact spec)
• have a particular minimum front and rear approach angle (if I’m too lazy to look up ground clearance, you know I’m not looking this one up)

There’s something else that I’m missing that makes 2WD Tahoe / Durango / Explorer Truck CAFE, regardless of drive configuration and passenger capacity.

So a 2WD Chevrolet Equinox is in the Car CAFE fleet. An AWD Chevrolet Equinox is in the Truck CAFE fleet. A RWD 5 passenger Tesla Model Y is in the Car CAFE fleet. A RWD 7 passenger Tesla Model Y and an AWD 5 passenger Tesla Model Y would both be in the Truck CAFE fleet. Some of these requirements came about because of the PT Cruiser and the Chevrolet HHR. Both were classified as Truck for CAFE when they launched, solely on the fact that they had tailgates and flat cargo floors. Ironically, both vehicles were designed by the same guy. Not confusing at all, right?