Average US MPG Drops by Largest Amount in 3 Years
The average fuel economy of vehicles sold in the U.S. has dropped by the largest amount in three years.
According to research by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, average fuel numbers for cars, light trucks, vans and SUVs purchased in September was 25.3 mpg, down from a record-setting 25.8 mpg in August. While 0.5 mpg may not seem like a lot, the last time a drop that big was recorded was in December 2011.
“This large drop likely reflects the increased sales of light trucks and SUVs, and the reduced demand for fuel efficient vehicles of all types because of the falling gas prices,” said UMTRI research professor Michael Sivak.
Since UMTRI started its fuel economy tracking in October 2007, the overall average has climbed by 5.2 mpg. The average fuel economy must continually improve as automakers are being forced by the U.S. government to meet an average fleet fuel economy of 54.5 mpg by 2025.
[Source: UMTRI]
Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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