WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. vehicle fleet hit a new record for fuel efficiency in 2018 averaging 25.1 miles per gallon (mpg) in real-world driving as it rose 0.2 mpg, the Environmental Protection Agency said.
The fleet is also preliminarily anticipated to jump to 25.5 mpg for the 2019 model year.
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler cited the small annual increases as evidence the Obama era requirements are “unfeasible.”
The administration is working to finalize rules to rollback Obama-era requirements through the 2026 model year.
The report also showed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV purchased a significant number of vehicle emissions credits, while Tesla Inc, Honda Motor Co and Toyota Motor Corp sold credits.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese)
