Americans Slowly Buying More Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

U.S. consumers are increasingly buying more fuel-efficient vehicles, but the pace of mileage improvements remains slow, according to a report issued by the Environmental Protection Agency.

American vehicles averaged 21 mpg for the 2008 model year, which is a 0.4 mpg increase from 2007. The average is expected to increase to 21.1 mpg for 2009, although the EPA warns that the past year's upheaval in the auto industry could render that forecast false.

The elephant in the room is the Obama administration's insistence that automakers hit a 35.5 mpg average by 2015. Keep in mind that this is just what car companies have to build, though not necessarily what consumers have to buy. Even after the $4 per gallon of gas price spike of 2008, consumer behavior has not altered as quickly as some would like.

It should also be noted that the federal government's fleet average uses a completely separate formula for measuring mileage; it's not what the EPA lists on new-car window stickers. This means achieving the 35.5 mpg standard will not necessarily ensure a real-world 35.5 mpg fleet average.

Purchases of Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Increase Slowly (Detroit Free Press)

Comments

Hopefully we will see more and more consumers buying fuel efficient vehicles. We knew it wouldn't happen overnight and I am just glad to see an increase.

Slowly the demand for fuel- efficient vehicles is going to increase because of day to day increase in the rate of gas & other natural resources That's why all the consumers moving to hybrid cars or less fuel consumption cars.
Good Post.

Don't worry. We are going though transaction from first rate capitalism to sub-socialism. And you know what happens then - we'll have pay tax after tax to satisfy our huge-to-be-government.
when people will have little money left in their pockets and all these big houses will go frozen in the winter, we will see not only fuel efficient cars, like Tata Nano but plenty mopeds.
It is not going to happen tomorrow. But give it 10 years. Good bye America, as we know you. Hello misery.

Well said, Tony.

Step away from the Kool-Aid you two... step slowly away...

It is very understandable that people turn to fuel efficient cars because oil and gas prices increase rapidly.