U.S. Auto Fuel Economy Drops

The average overall

automobile fuel economy in the United States has dropped to its lowest level in nearly 20 years, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. When light trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) are included in the statistics, the fleetwide fuel economy for 1999 model vehicles averages 23.8 miles per gallon (8.4 km/l), a drop from the high of 25.9 mpg (9.2 km/l) in 1987-88 when fuel economy was at a peak. While 1999 model-year passenger cars average 28.1 mpg (9.9 km/l), light trucks (including SUVs and minivans) average just 20.3 mpg (7.2 km/l). Light trucks now account for 46% of all new vehicles sold. The average fleet fuel economy this year is about where it was in 1980.