Nissan leads the charge toward better fuel economy standards

Finding a way to offer better fuel economy is something that every automaker is striving to do these days. While saving consumers money and being better to the environment is a big reason why, there is another motivating factor hanging out there as well. It’s called CAFE, which is the Corporate Average Fuel Economy that automakers need to adhere to. And as early as 2025, the required average for cars and trucks will be 54.5 mpg per automaker. Since credits can be obtained for buildings with clean air conditioners and the like, the actual working number is close to 40 mpg – but this is still quite a reach from today.

To demonstrate what we mean, let’s look at today’s numbers. It was recently announced that the overall average for the 2013 model year increased to 24.1 mpg in the United States. While this is an increase of 0.5 mpg from 2012, it’s still not enough of a year-over-year climb to get to the desired 40 mpg number.

Where does Nissan rank in vehicle fuel efficiency?

Luckily, there are companies like Nissan that are going above and beyond the simple standards. Nissan made the largest year-over-year gain out of all automakers, increasing its fuel economy rating to 26.2 mpg. And thanks to some of the advances that we’ve already seen with the company, that number is sure to increase. So when someone asks “where does Nissan rank in vehicle fuel efficiency?” you can state, that as far as year-over-year gain, the company is No. 1.

While the common perception is to believe that electric vehicles are the answer to reaching the 2025 CAFE standards, the truth is, they are only part of the solution. More efficient gas engines, hybrid integration and other technologies hold the key. It is estimated that the 40 mpg average can be reached with only 10% of the fleet being completely electric.

We’re certainly interested in seeing where this will go in the next few years. But one thing is for sure – we’re proud to be on the Nissan team here at Nissan of Auburn.