Average Fuel Economy for 2005 Models Increases Slightly

Honda Motor Co. posted the highest average fuel economy for 2005 vehicles, but automakers made little progress in making automobiles more fuel-efficient, the government reported Thursday.

The Environmental Protection Agency said in its annual findings that the estimated average fuel economy for 2005 model year vehicles was 21 miles per gallon, a fleet-wide average that increased 0.2 mpg from the previous year.

It was 5 percent below the peak of 22.1 mpg in 1987, the EPA said. Since 1997, the fleet-wide average for U.S. automakers’ light-duty vehicles has remained fairly consistent, ranging between 20.6 mpg and 21 mpg.
AP via The Charlotte Observer