Few 2002 Models Get More Than 30 MPG
WASHINGTON (AP) - New passenger vehicles average about 21 miles per gallon and just 6 percent of the 2002 models headed for showrooms get more than 30 mpg, government statistics show.
Americans' appetite for gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles again held down the overall numbers for the 865 cars, trucks and vans listed in the annual fuel economy statistics released Tuesday by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Only 48 models get 30 mpg or better. More than half - 487 models - get between 20 and 30 mpg. The remaining 330 models get less than 20 mpg.
Average fuel economy for the 491 cars was 23.9 mpg, a slight decrease from 24.2 mpg in 2001. That compares with 17.9 mpg for 374 models or variations of SUVs, vans and pickup trucks, a modest increase from 17.3 in 2001.
Last year's weighted average, based on sales for all new passenger vehicles, was 20.4 mpg - a 21-year low.
Two hybrid gas- and electric-powered vehicles - the two-seat Honda Insight coupe and five-seat Toyota Prius sedan - topped the list of fuel misers for the third year. The Honda had 64 mpg combined city and highway driving, the Toyota had 48 mpg.
They were followed by four Volkswagen diesel cars, the Honda Civic HX and Toyota Echo.
EPA Administrator Christie Whitman and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham were unveiling the new figures Tuesday on a government Web site and planned to look for themselves at some of the new fuel-efficient cars.
By class, the best achievers are compact cars at 25.8 mpg, followed by small station wagons and subcompact cars at almost 25 mpg and midsize station wagons at 23.7 mpg. Cargo and passenger vans and standard-size four-wheel drive pickup trucks are the fuel spendthrifts at 16 mpg.
Among midsize cars, the Mazda 626 and Honda Accord reported the best combined city-highway mileage of 28 mpg. The worst in that category was the luxury Bentley Arnage, at 13 mpg. Most cars in the category came in the low- to mid-20s mpg.
Three similar minivans from General Motors - the Chevrolet Ventura, Oldsmobile Silhouette and Pontiac Montana - again had the best mileage, 22 mpg combined, in the passenger van category. The Kia Sedona had the worst at 17 mpg.
King-size SUVs such as the Cadillac Escalade, Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator accounted for 13 of the 35 vehicles on the list with the worst gas mileage, all 14 mpg or less combined.
The luxury sport import Lamborghini L-147 Murcielago was the biggest guzzler, 10 mpg, followed by the Ferrari 360 Modena/Spider, 12 mpg.
Aside from lifestyle and taste, choosing a more fuel-efficient vehicle can save an owner hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year while also helping reduce carbon dioxide emissions that scientists say contribute to global warming.
EPA estimates a 3 mpg increase in average fuel economy industrywide would save $25 billion a year in fuel costs and reduce 140 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
The electric-gas hybrids, powered by conventional gasoline but able to draw on an electric motor and self-charging generator and battery pack, have yet to establish themselves as big factors in the current market.
Automakers and groups such as the Coalition for Vehicle Choice, which lobbies against government fuel-economy rules, say the industry is giving buyers what they want.
``There is very little consumer demand for the high-mileage vehicles because of the trade-offs,'' coalition spokesman Jeffrey Miller said. ``The things most consumers want - they want size, they want safety, they want quality.''
Congress is exploring requiring vehicles to go farther on a gallon of gas to cut emissions and dependence on foreign oil. The National Academy of Sciences has said automakers can achieve fuel savings without big reductions in safety considerations such as size and weight.
``At a time when we have just been reminded of our vulnerability because of our oil dependence, it is really appalling the auto industry continues to churn out gas guzzlers,'' said Daniel Becker, director of Sierra Club's global warming and energy program.
Fuel economy standards were set in 1975 at 27.5 miles per gallon on new passenger cars and 20.7 mpg for light trucks, including pickups, minivans and sport utility vehicles. Automakers have to achieve the standard only as a fleet average. They do not have to meet it for each vehicle.
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On the Net: http://www.fueleconomy.gov
Originally published October 09, 2001.
