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UMTRI: US new vehicle average fuel economy hits record 24.5 mpg in January

The average fuel-economy (window-sticker) value of new vehicles sold in the US in January reached a record of 24.5 mpg (6.47 l/100km), according to the monthly tally by Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).

The figure represents an increase of 0.4 mpg from the revised December value and is up 4.4 mpg (or 22%) from the value in October 2007 (the first month of monitoring). The recent improvements reflect the improved fuel economy of the 2013 model year vehicles.

The University of Michigan Eco-Driving Index (EDI)—an index that estimates the average monthly emissions of greenhouse gases generated by an individual U.S. driver—stood at 0.82 in November. This value indicates an improvement of 18% since October 2007. The EDI takes into account both the fuel used per distance driven and the amount of driving (the latter relying on data that are published with a two-month lag).

Comments

HarveyD

If this trend keeps up for another 20+ years we may catch up with what a Ford 1912 use to to do?

Is this enough to rejoice?

Brotherkenny4

A plug-in SUV should get about 60MPG. What 24.5 says is that we still don't get it.

HarveyD

May be we should stop buying those 24 mpg vehicles and buy more 50 mpg hybrids?

kelly

For over a hundred years, US new car MPG was ~20 MPG average.

The Volt, Leaf, and a few other ~100 eMPG EVs are available for a few years - sometimes just months - and the average new MPG is 24.5 mpg - an over 20% increase.

Wonder what caused this never before accomplished average MPG improvement..

HarveyD

Toyota, with its 2,000,000+, 50 mpg hybrids is probably the main reason that forced most others to try to do better with improved ICEVs, HEVs, PHEVs and BEVs.

The combined efforts has effectively reduced the average consumption from 20 to 24 mpg in the last 5 years or so.

As more HEVs, PHEVs and BEVs (and improved ICEVs) are produced, the average consumption will progressively move from 24 mpg to 50+ mpg (sometime between 2020 and 2030?)

A question remain, will the average fuel consumption be reduced faster than the fleet growth? If not, total fuel consumption may rise again or keep rising as it did in the last 2 years or so?

petertoth

Can you please revise the metric consumption data? 24.5 mpg is definitely not 6.47l/100km. Closer to 9.6l/100km.

Bernard

kelly,

"For over a hundred years, US new car MPG was ~20 MPG average."

Do you have a source for this? When I was a kid (pre-CAFE) , the average American car did around 12-15mpg, and that was less than 100 years ago.

HarveyD

If the 24 mpg is based on the current EPA standards which are about 20% off, the actual real life consumption may be closer to (24 x 0.80) = 19.2 mpg?

A Prius III with a real life consumption of 50 mpg is a better deal than expected?

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