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Fuel Economy Average Continues to Slide in U.S.
The fuel economy of new cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. fell from an average 26.3 mpg over the past three years to 24.8 mpg in October, the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute reports.
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The fuel economy of new cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. fell from an average 26.3 mpg over the past three years to 24.8 mpg in October, the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute reports.
Last month’s drop marked the third consecutive month of decline. It also was the first time in nearly three years that October’s average was less than 25 mpg. Researchers Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle attribute the trend to a steady shift in sales mix from cars to light trucks.
Trucks accounted for 50.1% of the U.S. market in 2014 and 52.1% last year, according to Autodata Corp. This year they captured 58.9% of sales through the first 10 months of the year—including a record 61.6% share in October.
The UMTRI researchers note the overall fleet average is up 4.7 mpg from October 2007, when they began tracking the data.
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