Trucks Hit Record 20.4 MPG, EPA Says; Carmakers Beat Emission Standards

"Fuel economy is at record highs and carmakers have surpassed strict greenhouse gas emissions standards for the third straight year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which released a pair of annual reports about the U.S. fleet of cars and trucks Wednesday.

Overall, fuel economy for vehicles in the U.S. did not budge from last year's record high of 24.3 miles per gallon, the EPA says. The figure includes a new high of 20.4 mpg for trucks, vans and SUVs from model year 2014.

Cars' average fuel usage stayed at 27.9 mpg; for trucks, it rose by more than half a mile per gallon — but the thirstier vehicles also gained 5 percent in U.S. market share, causing numbers for the U.S. fleet to remain steady."

Bill Chappell reports for NPR December 16, 2015.

Source: NPR, 12/17/2015