Fuel economy down, but emissions at record low

Fuel economy down, but emissions at record low

Fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the United States backed off its record high last month, but average monthly emissions are at an all-time low, according to a report by the University of Michigan.

Average EPA fuel economy of cars, light trucks, vans and SUVs bought in April was 25.2 mpg, down 0.2 mpg from March but still up 5.1 mpg from October 2007, when researchers started monitoring it.

–This change likely reflects the increased proportion of light trucks among newly purchased vehicles,” said University of Michigan researcher Michael Sivak.

The emissions figure estimates the average monthly emissions generated by an individual driver. It takes into account both the fuel used per distance driven and the amount of driving. The emissions of greenhouse gases per driver of newly purchased vehicles are now down 23 percent overall since October 2007.