WASHINGTON—Overall 2015 results for corporate average fuel economy show improvement, but individual auto makers show significant variation in CAFE performance, according to a new report from the Consumer Federation of America.
Between 2014-15, the percentage of vehicles with an Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy rating of at least 23 mpg rose from 50.5 to 52 percent, the CFA said.
Also, the percentage of gas-guzzlers (16 mpg or less) on U.S. roads declined from 8.5 to 6.1 percent during the period, the consumer organization said.
However, individual car companies are backsliding in their year-to-year CAFE performance. Chief among these, according to the CFA, are Kia (18 percent compliance in 2015 compared with 40 percent in 2014), Subaru (43 percent in 2015 vs. 75 percent in 2014) and General Motors (19 percent in 2015 vs. 27 percent in 2014).
Auto makers showing the biggest CAFE improvement in 2015 over 2014 were Volvo (29 percent vs. 0 percent), Honda (57 percent vs. 51 percent) and Mercedes-Benz (15 percent vs. 12 percent), the CFA said.
In all, seven auto companies improved their CAFE performance in 2015 over 2014, according to CFA automotive expert Jack Gillis.
“The fact that the number of cars getting over 23 mpg has risen by almost 40 percent in the last 10 years is strong evidence that reaching the (EPA) goal of 54.5 mpg by 2025 is indeed attainable,” Gillis said.