Honda Leads Again in Fuel-Efficiency
Honda Motor Co. has again produced the greenest and most fuel efficient vehicles in the U.S., followed closely by Hyundai Motor Co., the EPA’s projections for 2009 showed on Friday.
New vehicle fuel efficiency improved 2 percent in 2008 from 20.6 mpg for the 2007 model year. The government projected it will improve slightly to 21.1 mpg in the 2009 model year.
The EPA figures are based on real-world estimates for city and highway mileage found on window stickers at dealer showrooms instead of mileage values developed through laboratory testing. Final 2009 figures will be released next year in October or November.
Honda led the industry in 2008 with 23.9 mpg, followed by Hyundai and its affiliate Kia with 23.7 mpg, and Toyota with 22.8 mpg.
Volkswagen’s fleet averaged 22.3 mpg, followed by Nissan with 21.9 and BMW with 21.2 mpg.
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The EPA projects Ford will increase its fuel efficiency by more than 1 mpg in the 2009 model year and overtake GM.
Honda and Toyota also lead the U.S. market in gasoline/electric hybrid vehicles, the most fuel efficient and cleanest cars sold.
In the annual EPA report, "Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 through 2009," (see it in PDF), EPA officials said carbon dioxide emissions for new vehicles have decreased by 8 percent, or 39 grams per mile, since 2004.
During that same time period, the average fuel economy for new vehicles increased by 9 percent, or 1.8 mpg.
The Obama administration has pressed for tougher fuel efficiency requirements and proposed a 40 percent increase by 2016. Automakers already have agreed to a big increase in fuel efficiency standards to a fleetwide average of 34.1 mpg by 2016.
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