Fuel economy at all-time high, researchers find

(Phys.org)—Fuel economy of all new vehicles sold in the United States is at its highest level ever, say researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

Average fuel economy (window-sticker values) of cars, light trucks, minivans and SUVs purchased in October was 24.1 mpg, up from 23.8 in September. The mark sets a new record and is a 20 percent increase (4.0 mpg) from October 2007, the first month of monitoring by UMTRI researchers Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle.

"The improvement in fuel economy in the past five years corresponds to a 17 percent reduction in fuel consumption per distance driven," Sivak said.

In addition to average fuel economy, Sivak and Schoettle issued their monthly update of their national Eco-Driving Index, which estimates the average monthly emissions generated by an individual U.S. driver. The EDI takes into account both vehicle fuel economy and distance driven—the latter relying on data that are published with a two-month lag.

During August, the EDI remained unchanged at 0.81 (the lower the value, the better). The index currently shows that emissions of greenhouse gases per driver of newly purchased vehicles are down 19 percent, overall, since October 2007.

Explore further: Vehicle fuel economy stays the same in July

More information: www.umich.edu/~umtriswt/EDI_sales-weighted-mpg.html
www.umich.edu/~umtriswt/EDI_values.html

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dschlink

3.8 / 5 (4) Nov 06, 2012

Not bad. Another couple years and it might reach the level of my 2-ton, 2004 cargo van. Why yes, it's a diesel.

foolspoo

5 / 5 (2) Nov 06, 2012

"The improvement in fuel economy in the past five years corresponds to a 17 percent reduction in fuel consumption per distance driven," Sivak said.

Wonderful

VendicarD

3.7 / 5 (3) Nov 06, 2012

The improvement in fuel economy in the U.S. in the past five years comes as a direct result of the government mandate in increased fuel economy for vehicles.

Pressure2

4 / 5 (4) Nov 06, 2012

Thanks to president Obama and many far sighted democrats, again thank you.

ScooterG

1.5 / 5 (8) Nov 06, 2012

And thanks to free markets which encourage competition amongst automakers.

3.7 / 5 (3) Nov 07, 2012

Odd isn't it that the "free Market" made no progress toward lower fuel consumption until they were required by government to do so.

"And thanks to free markets" - ScooTard

And then suddenly what they claimed was impossible, was magically done.

Filth.

FrankHerbert

Fuel economy will get even better now that Obama was reelected!

1 / 5 (5) Nov 08, 2012

Vendicard does not understand the purpose of business, nor does he understand marketing, nor does he understand business management.

He thinks the purpose of business is to first do right according to some ethical code, with profit taking the hind-most. It just doesn't work that way.

5 / 5 (1) Nov 08, 2012

unfortunately scooter, the "free" market is what got us here. If big oil in america hadn't pushed the electric car to the graves well over a century ago, we might well have vehicles which need no roads. (hey doc!) It hurts to think of all the money and years we missed out on.

CapitalismPrevails

1 / 5 (2) Nov 08, 2012

What people don't understand is the more fuel efficient an engine is, the more people will drive and consume more fuel. It's called the Jevons paradox. I don't believe there's anything wrong with it thou. The net end result is added productivity.

http://en.wikiped..._paradox

1 / 5 (1) Nov 11, 2012

The purpose of business is to extract as much money possible from a customers wallet by selling the worst possible proudct at the highest possible price.

"Vendicard does not understand the purpose of business" - ScooTard

I'm sure you agree.

In business, marketing is use as a method by which custerms are coerced into purchasing though any legal means possible.

Marketing methods include making products look better than they are, confusing the consumer with misleading claims, or through hyping some irrelevant characteristic of the product, or by even selling a product by highlighting it's inferiority in a createive way that can be made to attract a customer.

For example, a soap containing air bubbles, and therfore less soap, can be sold as a magical soap that floats, or as one that lathers better.

You might market a vacuum based on the amount of "amps" it's motor consumes rather than how well it cleans your floor. Higher amperage can be implied as being better, and then you can include some shunt resistors in the motor to decrease it's efficiency and improve sales as a result.

"nor does he understand marketing" - ScooTard

I'm sure you agree.

Obviously the contrary is more precise. I believe that virtually all businesses are unethical and dishonest, including the one I work for which regularly steals from it's parent company in order to increase branch profits at the expense of corporate profits.

"He thinks the purpose of business is to first do right according to some ethical code" - ScooTard

Maximizing profits demands the minimization of morality and ethics.

So by the logic of Capitalism, in order to conserve fuel, automotive engines should be made as inefficient as possible.

Libertarian/Randite Logic.

"What people don't understand is the more fuel efficient an engine is, the more people will drive and consume more fuel." - CapitalismFails

bg1

3.7 / 5 (3) Nov 11, 2012

Odd isn't it that the "free Market" made no progress toward lower fuel consumption until they were required by government to do so.

"And thanks to free markets" - ScooTard

And then suddenly what they claimed was impossible, was magically done.

Filth.

Vendicard does not understand the purpose of business, nor does he understand marketing, nor does he understand business management.

He thinks the purpose of business is to first do right according to some ethical code, with profit taking the hind-most. It just doesn't work that way.

Yes ScooTard, you're absolutely right. The first priority of business is profit, which is exactly why the government must set certain demands and restrictions on what business must and must not do, to ensure that society benefits and not be harmed.

1 / 5 (2) Nov 13, 2012

I disagree.

1 / 5 (1) Nov 13, 2012

BG1, profits are moral thing contrary to your DOE indoctrination. Profits means people have more money to save/invest = economic growth. You can at least understand that profits mean tax revenue.

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