MENU
SEARCHFuel efficiency growing as new cars meet stricter regulations and more Americans opt for hybrids, purely electric models.
Though government regulations are fueling part of the increased fuel efficiency, many consumers also want to cut fuel costs, ISeeCars noted.
Pexels/Engin Akyurt
Overall vehicle fuel efficiency is up in the U.S., helped by increased hybrid and all-electric vehicle adoption and more fuel-efficient gas-powered cars.
Data by online automotive search site iSeeCars.com found nationwide vehicle fuel efficiency is up 11% over the past five years to an average of 27.5 miles per gallon for 1- to 5-year-old cars.
To arrive at the numbers the company said it reviewed fuel efficiency of more than 19 million cars sold in the age segment during the five-year period on both national and state-by-state bases.
It also broke down fuel efficiency by state to determine those that improved the most, Arkansas leading the way with about a 32% improvement, followed by Washington state with a 22% gain, and California with a 19% improvement.
Probably not coincidentally, Arkansas also led in combined hybrid and battery-electric vehicle adoption, up a whopping 875%. Louisiana came in second with 299% growth, and New Jersey is third with 286% improvement.
Though government regulations are fueling part of the increased fuel efficiency, many consumers also want to cut fuel costs, iSeeCars said. That’s not surprising, given overall inflation, including the prices of vehicles themselves.
More rural states leading the way on improved fuel efficiency might seem counterintuitive, especially given their much more limited electric-vehicle charging infrastructure. Meanwhile, California and Washington showed they’re committed to optimum fuel efficiency since their improvement rates stayed high despite already exceeding the national average five years ago, iSeeCars said.
“States like California and Washington are known for their efforts to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions, so it’s not surprising to see them rank well in this area,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer in a press release on its research.
“But seeing Arkansas outrank both states in the areas of rising fuel efficiency and growing hybrid and EV market share was something we couldn’t have predicted. Arkansas ranks among the top five states for growth in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and EV categories, showing rapid adoption across a broad spectrum of fuel-efficient vehicle types.”
DIG DEEPER: Toyota Hydrogen Fuel Cell Project Advances
Cox Automotive research shows both the opportunities and the challenges in turning consumers’ growing affordability needs into increased fixed-operations revenue.
Read More →
The partner you choose for growth and expansion is key, because better is the ultimate goal instead of growth for growth’s sake.
Read More →
The dealership profit center plays an important role in customer retention, and generation Z customers are showing the highest loyalty rates, based on recent CDK Global data.
Read More →
The Point Predictive study traced a pattern across more than 100 websites it believes are being developed by an international theft ring.
Read More →
The sale of two Minnesota franchises ends a rare multigenerational business while adding to one of the Midwest’s biggest auto groups.
Read More →
California, as usual, led the country in EV registrations in the fourth quarter, but the U.S. as a whole saw a 43% year-over-year volume decrease.
Read More →
Forecasts show that the spring sales season is rising above overriding economic concerns, among them continuously rising car prices, trade tariffs, elevated interest rates, and now a war.
Read More →
The Kerrigan Index shows that despite a chaotic year of musical trade tariffs, high vehicle prices and more roadblocks, acquirers still flush with pandemic-era cash accelerated the consolidation pace.
Read More →
Labor shortages, material costs and tariffs are just a few of the reasons automakers are looking to expand their investments in automation and robotics this year.
Read More →
The Middle East imports a sizable share of vehicles made in the states. It’s unclear how the Iran War could affect the keystone market for U.S. automakers.
Read More →
