For the fifth consecutive year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is
reporting an increase in fuel efficiency with a corresponding decrease in
average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for new cars and light duty trucks.

This report marks the first time that data for CO2 emissions are included in
the annual report, "Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide
Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 through 2009."

"American drivers are increasingly looking for cars that burn cleaner, burn
less gas and won't burn a hole in their wallets,” said EPA Administrator Lisa
P. Jackson. "We're working to help accelerate this trend with strong
investments in clean energy technology - particularly for the cars and trucks
that account for almost 60 percent of greenhouse gases from transportation
sources. Cleaner, more efficient vehicles can help reduce our dangerous
dependence on foreign oil, cut harmful pollution, and save people money -- and
it's clear that's what the American car buyer wants.”

For 2008, the last year for which EPA has final data from automakers, the
average fuel economy value was 21.0 miles per gallon (mpg). EPA projects a
small improvement in 2009, based on pre-model year sales estimates provided to
EPA by automakers, to 21.1 mpg.

The report confirms that average CO2 emissions have decreased and fuel economy
has increased each year beginning in 2005. Average CO2 emissions have decreased
by 39 grams per mile, or 8 percent, and average fuel economy has increased by
1.8 mpg, or 9 percent, since 2004. This positive trend beginning in 2005
reverses a long period of increasing CO2 emissions and decreasing fuel economy
from 1987 through 2004, and returns CO2 emissions and fuel economy to levels of
the early 1980s.

The report also provides data on the CO2 emissions, fuel economy and technology
characteristics of new light-duty vehicles including cars, minivans, sport
utility vehicles, and pickup trucks.

The latest CO2 emissions and fuel economy values reflect EPA's best estimates
of real world CO2 emissions and fuel economy performance. They are consistent
with the fuel economy estimates that EPA provides on new vehicle window
stickers and in the Fuel Economy Guide. These real world fuel economy values
are about 20 percent lower, on average, than those used for compliance with the
corporate average fuel economy program under DOT.

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AplusA-online.de - Source: Environmental Protection