Wards Reports August Light-Vehicle Sales Achieve Record Fuel-Efficiency Rating

By John Sousanis
WardsAuto.com

Detroit MI Sep 25, 2009; Consumers went for miles-per-gallon in a big way in August, as U.S. light-vehicle sales achieved a record fuel-efficiency rating, the Ward’s Fuel-Economy Index shows.

The index, which measures the average miles-per-gallon per LV sold, hit a 23 mpg (10.2 L/100 km) average in the month, up 1% from the previous high set in July.

The August rating marked an 8% gain from year-ago’s 21.2 mpg (11.1 L/100 km) average.

The index is calculated using Environmental Protection Agency fuel-economy ratings for individual models and engine-installation rates gathered by Ward’s to estimate the relative fuel efficiency of U.S. car and light-truck sales on a monthly basis.

The Ward’s FEI indicates the “Cash for Clunkers” program, which offered consumers as much as $4,500 to trade low-mileage older vehicles for more fuel-efficient models during July and August, boosted the average fuel economy of LVs sold in both months to record highs that tracked well above trend.

The industry-wide index rating rose about 2% during the first half of the year, reaching 22.1 in June from 21.7 in January, before taking a nearly 3% jump from June to July (22.7).

The subsequent increase in August pushed the industry’s rating to 23 for the first time since October 2007, the baseline for the index

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