We reported the general outlines of 40mpg's survey that was released this week before the news was officially out. And it took a reader to remind me that we never then followed up with the official details. Allow me to rectify that.
The headline is that there are only two vehicles (but the study doesn't include hybrid vehicles, as far as I can tell) sold in the U.S. that "achieved combined gas mileage of at least 40 miles per gallon," down from five two years ago. Is that progress? Certainly not. 40mpg says "America is now stuck in reverse when it comes to fuel-efficient vehicles." Especially when compared to 40mpg+ vehicles for sale outside the U.S., when the numbers rose from 86 to 113 in the same time period. 40mpg deftly points out that it's not life American manufacturers don't know how to make these kinds of cars: "Adding insult to injury, nearly two thirds (74 or 65 percent) of the 113 highly fuel-efficient car models that are unavailable to American consumers are either made by U.S. auto manufacturers (e.g., Ford and GM) or foreign manufacturers with substantial U.S. sales operations (e.g., Volkswagen, Nissan and Toyota)." These are the cars you so often hear pine for.
40mpg and Civil Society Institute worked on the joint study, which also found overwhelming evidence that Americans want to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles. You can read all the details - and download a spreadsheet with automobile fuel efficiency data over at 40mpg - but I just wish we could stop seeing these types of studies, and start seeing cleaner cars on Route 66.
Related:
[Source: 40mpg.org, h/t to Stedwoo]
The headline is that there are only two vehicles (but the study doesn't include hybrid vehicles, as far as I can tell) sold in the U.S. that "achieved combined gas mileage of at least 40 miles per gallon," down from five two years ago. Is that progress? Certainly not. 40mpg says "America is now stuck in reverse when it comes to fuel-efficient vehicles." Especially when compared to 40mpg+ vehicles for sale outside the U.S., when the numbers rose from 86 to 113 in the same time period. 40mpg deftly points out that it's not life American manufacturers don't know how to make these kinds of cars: "Adding insult to injury, nearly two thirds (74 or 65 percent) of the 113 highly fuel-efficient car models that are unavailable to American consumers are either made by U.S. auto manufacturers (e.g., Ford and GM) or foreign manufacturers with substantial U.S. sales operations (e.g., Volkswagen, Nissan and Toyota)." These are the cars you so often hear pine for.
40mpg and Civil Society Institute worked on the joint study, which also found overwhelming evidence that Americans want to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles. You can read all the details - and download a spreadsheet with automobile fuel efficiency data over at 40mpg - but I just wish we could stop seeing these types of studies, and start seeing cleaner cars on Route 66.
Related:
[Source: 40mpg.org, h/t to Stedwoo]
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