Even in an age when sustainability is on many people’s minds, The average miles-per-gallon for cars sold in the US actually dropped last month, according to the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute.
Average fuel economy for cars sold in April was 25.2 mpg, down.2 mpg from March and down.6 mpg from the high point reached in August of 2014. It is up 5.1 mpg from October 2007, when the institute started monitoring these statistics.
The big reason that fuel economy is down? More people are opting for pickup trucks and SUVs. A variety of factors including cheaper gas and more improved aesthetics are helping to lift sales of gas guzzlers.
Total emissions of greenhouse gases are also down overall, according to the report. The University of Michigan Eco-Driving Index, which measures monthly emissions for an individual US driver, was at.82 in February, the same as it was in January. That correlates to an 18% drop in emissions since October 2007.
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