The average fuel economy of light vehicles sold in the U.S. decreased 0.2 mpg last month from January, likely because of severe weather in much of the country, according to a monthly report by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
The report, by researchers Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle, said that the average window-sticker value of new cars, SUVs, vans and pickups sold in the U.S. in February was 25.2 mpg, down from 25.4 in January.
“This decrease in fuel economy likely reflects the increased market share of light trucks, SUVs, and crossovers in response to the inclement winter weather in a large part of the country,” Sivak and Schoettle wrote in an emailed statement.
Despite the decline, February marks the 13th consecutive month that average fuel economy has been above 25 mpg. Average fuel economy is up 5.1 mpg from October 2007, the university’s first full month of monitoring, according to the report.
January was the first month fuel economy had risen since its 25.8 mpg high in August. From September through November, it remained steady at 25.3 mpg, and in December fuel economy dipped to 25.1.
The University of Michigan Eco-Driving Index, another study by UMTRI, tracks average monthly greenhouse gas emissions of each new-vehicle driver in the U.S. The results will be available a week late because of a delay in the release of vehicle distance data by the Federal Highway Administration, Sivak and Schoettle said.
