ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The average fuel economy, or window-sticker value, of new vehicles sold this past August hit 25.8 miles per gallon (mpg), up 0.2 mpg from July and a record high. This is according to a monthly reporting of average fuel economy values by the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). Since the institute first began monitoring average fuel economy values in October 2007, the metric has risen 5.7 mpg.
UMTRI calculates average sales-weighted fuel economy from monthly sales of individual models of light-duty vehicles such as cars, SUVs, vans and pickup trucks, as well as the combined city/highway fuel-economy ratings—or window sticker ratings—published by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The average sales-weighted fuel economy has increased roughly 1 mpg per year since model year 2012. Model year 2013’s average sales-weighted mpg was 24.6 mpg. Click here for more on the UMTRI research.
In its August Short-Term Energy Outlook update, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) noted that motor gasoline consumption rose by 90,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2013, or up 1.1%, which was the greatest annual increase since 2006. While it expects gasoline consumption to rise 40,000 bpd in 2014, EIA projects a decline of 10,000 bpd in 2015 due to better fuel economy in new vehicles.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.