Light vehicle fuel economy stays at record level in May

Light vehicle fuel economy stays at record level in May

Fleetwide fuel economy for light vehicles last month stayed at 24.3 mpg, the record level it reached in March and April, according to Wards. That was up 1 percent from a year ago and up 16 percent from the base rating when the Wards Fuel Economy Index was started in fourth-quarter 2007.

Even though the numbers stayed the same, the market continued to move away from the most fuel-efficient segments! Cars were less than half of light vehicle sales in May, as all four car segments lost share. But the decrease from April was offset by an increase in CAFE, now 28.1 mpg.

Conversely, all four truck segments gained share in May, for the first time since last July. Pickup sales are robust and expected to increase as the housing and construction industry continues to improve.