he average fuel economy of new cars sold in the U.S. edged up to 24.8 miles per gallon (mpg) in October, compared with 24.6 mpg in September, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).
.DETROIT, MI - The average fuel economy of new cars sold in the U.S. edged up to 24.8 miles per gallon (mpg) in October, compared with 24.6 mpg in September, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).
UMTRI bases its findings on monthly sales of new cars and their fuel-economy ratings published with the Environmental Protection Agency Fuel Economy Guide.
The institute credits the increased fuel economy last month with two opposing trends, including the improved fuel economy of 2014 model-year cars against a waning demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles in the face of the dropping cost of gasoline.
UMTRI started monitoring fuel economy in October 2007. Since then, fuel economy in new cars sold in the U.S. has improved by 4.7 mpg, the institute says.
The University of Michigan Eco-Driving Index, which measures greenhouse gases emitted by automobiles, in August showed an improvement of 20 percent over October 2007.
Click here for a full description of how the Eco-Driving Index is calculated, as well as a graph showing the improved fuel economy of cars sold in the U.S.
David Muller is the business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.