The average fuel economy (window-sticker value) of new vehicles sold in the US in December was 24.8 mpg, down 0.2 mpg from the revised value in November, according to the latest monthly figures from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).
The December figure was up 4.7 mpg from the value in October 2007, the first month of UMTRI monitoring.
Additionally, the average fuel economy of all vehicles sold in 2013 was a record 24.8 mpg, up 1.0 mpg from 2012 and up 3.9 mpg from 2008, UMTRI says.
The University of Michigan Eco-Driving Index (EDI) — an index that estimates the average monthly greenhouse gas emissions generated by an individual US driver — stood at .80 in October. This value indicates an improvement of 20 percent since October 2007. The EDI takes into account both vehicle fuel economy and distance driven, with the latter relying on data that are published with a two-month lag.