More efficient than ever, the percentage of vehicles getting at least 23 mpg hit a record 50.5 percent for the 2014 model-year, good news for drivers of gas guzzling SUVs and pickups.
Over half of the vehicles sold this year deliver over 23 mpg, with one in nine topping 30 mpg, the study showed.
Even some traditional gas guzzlers are now yielding mileage once considered a stretch for small cars, industry and government data reveals, though automakers still face a stretch achieving the 54.5 mpg target facing them in 2025, observers warn.
“This has been remarkable,” said Mark Cooper, research director for the Consumer Federation of America, which has been tracking fuel economy trends for over a decade. After years of relatively stagnant mileage, the increased federal fuel economy rules passed in 2005 have been paying off, he said, calling it a “great example” of how industry can respond to mandates backed by public support.