Average fuel economy edges up slightly in April

Average fuel economy edges up slightly in April

The average fuel economy (window sticker value) of new vehicles sold in the U.S. in April increased slightly to 25.3 mpg, up 0.1 mpg from March. Figures are from the University of Michigan Sustainable Worldwide Transportation Center.

The April figure is up 5.2 mpg since October 2007 (the first month the Center monitored the figures), but down 0.2 mpg from the peak of 25.5 mpg in August 2014.

The University of Michigan Eco-Driving Index (EDI) which estimates the average monthly emissions of greenhouse gases generated by an individual U.S. driver was 0.85 in February 2017, up 0.01 from January 2017 (the lower the value the better). This value indicates that the average new-vehicle driver produced 15 percent lower emissions in February 2017 than in October 2007, but 7 percent higher emissions than the record low in November 2013. The EDI takes into account both fuel economy and distance driven.