Average Fuel Economy in the U.S. Rises to 24.7 MPG

Trucks and SUVs may be selling like hotcakes, but according to the latest report from the Environmental Protection Agency, when using real-world figures, average fuel economy in the U.S. actually hit a new high in 2016, the most recent year on record. Reuters reports that the U.S. car and truck fleet averaged 24.7 mpg in total, up 0.1 miles per gallon over 2015. Based on current projections, 2017 is expected to set an even more significant record, hitting an average of 25.2 mpg.

The improvement between 2015 and 2016 was significantly lower than the 1 mpg increase the previous administration’s rules had called for, but thanks to low oil prices, there’s been little to deter consumers from buying the trucks and SUVs they prefer. Back in March, the Trump administration ordered a review of Obama-era fuel economy regulations and is considering revising them. But environmental advocates and states like California have pushed back against those potential changes. The regulations originally required automakers to gradually raise their fleet averages to 54.6 mpg, but that was relaxed in 2016 to between 50-52.6 mpg.

As Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Campaign, said in a statement, automakers in the U.S. “have the technology to improve mileage. The standards need to be strengthened, not weakened.”

The EPA’s report also says that while many automakers had previously come in under emissions limits, as a whole, they slightly exceeded emissions limits by 9 grams per mile. But because they had credits stored up from previous years, all major automakers were still in compliance. Volvo and Jaguar Land Rover didn’t have enough credits to cover their total emissions, but they have three years to fix that before any action is taken.

Interestingly, Mazda, manufacturer of the CX-5 pictured above, had the best average fuel economy in 2016, coming in at an impressive 29.6 mpg. For 2017, however, Honda is projected to pass Mazda and take first place.

Source: Reuters

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