2010 Fuel Economy Guide Champions Hybrids

By Harry Tournemille on October 21, 2009

The 2010 Fuel Economy Guide was recently released by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), based on information from The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Designed to promote intelligent choices for consumers looking for efficient vehicles with minimal harmful emissions, the guide highlights the best and the worst of the automotive industry.

“Fuel economy is about both saving energy and saving money,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “Buying fuel efficient vehicles - like the many hybrid technologies featured in this year’s Fuel Economy Guide – helps limit carbon pollution, lessen our dependence on foreign oil, and reduce driving costs for American families.”

One should not be surprised to find a host of hybrids at the summit of this pantheon. Led by the always-miserly Toyota Prius, which the Guide estimates to have 51 mpg city driving and 48 on the freeway, Ford Fusion, Honda Civic, Honda Insight, and Lexus' HS250h--all in hybrid form--also make the auspicious cut.

The economy guide is not solely for consumerism, however, as the EPA's findings inform other facets of government:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)--a flagship for government's unrequited thirst for acronyms--uses EPA statistics for their Corporate Average Fuel Economy program, which sets fuel consumption standards for cars and light trucks.

The IRS also uses EPA data to implement its collections of the Gas Guzzler Tax--a hefty levy started in 1978, designed to discourage the production and purchase of inefficient vehicles.

In 2008, the EPA implemented new, well-rounded testing for fuel economy. Current testing now accounts for actual driving conditions that can lower fuel economy, such as high speed, aggressive driving, use of air conditioning, and cold temperature operation.

The new estimates will give drivers a more accurate understanding of the fuel economy they are likely to achieve on the road.

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Harry Tournemille has been covering renewable energy and cleantech sectors for Energy Boom for almost two years. With a focus on solar, wave, and biofuel energies, Harry looks to find real-life applications for the host of information being put out on a daily basis.

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