The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the full range of model-year 2013 light-duty vehicles that were sold in the U.S. achieved an average of 24.1 miles per gallon, representing a 0.5 mpg increase over the previous year and an increase of nearly 5 mpg since 2004.
The 24.1 mpg average is an all-time high, according to the agency.
‘We are thrilled to see that manufacturers continue to innovate and are bringing technologies to improve fuel economy online even faster than anticipated,’ says EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.
‘Consumers now have many more choices when shopping for vehicles with higher fuel economy and lower emissions compared to just five years ago,’ she adds. ‘These choices reflect both a more diverse range of technology packages on conventional gasoline vehicles, as well as more advanced technology and alternative-fuel vehicles.’
The EPA and U.S, Department of Transportation have implemented standards that are projected to double fuel economy by 2025 and cut vehicle greenhouse gas emissions by 50%. The EPA estimates that these standards will save American families more than $8,000 in fuel costs per vehicle by 2025.
The full report, ‘Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 through 2014,’ can be accessed here.
