New Vehicle Fuel Economy Hits Record High for MY-2016
The fuel economy of new cars and trucks in the U.S. for model-year 2016 was 24.7 miles per gallon, 0.1 mpg higher than MY-2015, which is a record high.
by Staff
January 23, 2018
Photo via EveryCarListed/Flickr.
2 min to read
Photo via EveryCarListed/Flickr.
The fuel economy of new cars and trucks in the U.S. for model-year 2016 was 24.7 miles per gallon, 0.1 mpg higher than 2015-MY and a record high.
Both cars and trucks reached record adjusted fuel economy in 2016-MY, according to a release from the Environmental Protection Agency. The average 2016-MY adjusted fuel economy for cars increased to 28.5 mpg, and 2016-MY trucks increased 0.1 mpg to 21.2 mpg. Fuel economy is projected in the 2017-MY to hit another record at 25.2 mpg, though these values will be finalized in next year’s report.
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Meanwhile, vehicle weight and power were unchanged from 2015-MY to 2016-MY, both of which are important parameters for determining a vehicles fuel economy.
Car SUVs, smaller 2WD SUVs considered cars for purposes of compliance with fuel economy standards, had the largest increase in fuel economy, at 1.1 mpg. Both car SUVs and truck SUVs achieved record high fuel economy, with car SUVs reaching 26.2 mpg and truck SUVs reaching 22.2 mpg, according to a release from the EPA. Fuel economy for pickup trucks increased by 0.1 mpg.
Lower oil prices have encouraged Americans to move more toward trucks and SUVS, and away from smaller passenger cars, reports Reuters.
Five manufacturers showed an increase in adjusted fuel economy from 2015-MY to 2016-MY, including GM, Mercedes, Kia, Hyundai, and Mazda, the last of which has the highest fuel economy at 29.6 mpg. Hyundai, however, had the biggest increase for the model-year, at 1.3 mpg, with a total adjusted fuel economy at 28.8 mpg.
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