U.S. Carmakers Ahead of Schedule on Greenhouse Gases

The auto industry got "off to a good start" in 2012, the first year in a 14-year program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their light-duty vehicles, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

EPA's just-released Manufacturers Performance Report shows the industry's average fuel economy rose 1.2 mpg in the 2012 model year the second-largest one-year improvement in 30 years.

The 56-page report says the industry average for new-car greenhouse gas emissions in 2012 was 286 grams per mile compared with 296 grams in 2011.

The analysis points out that nine of the 20 carmakers it tracked used credit transfers between fleets, among each other and from flex-fuel vehicles to achieve the improvements. All except Jaguar Land Rover ended the year with remaining credits carried over from the previous three years.

The agency sees reason for optimism about upcoming results for the 2013 model year. It points to a doubling in the number of SUVs offered with fuel economy ratings of 25 mpg or more, and a sevenfold jump in the number of car models on sale with at least 40 mpg ratings.