Ward’s Auto reports that in the U.S. government’s Fuel Economy Guide for 2013 model year vehicles, advanced technology cars and light trucks dominate the best-in-class mileage ratings.
However, a number of vehicles that are able to deliver class-leading fuel economy numbers, such as mini-compacts and all-electric cars, suffer from very limited availability, often as a result of research that sees such vehicles having a limited impact with consumers, at least in the short term. Toyota, whose Scion iQ EV was rated the best overall in terms of fuel economy (121 miles per gallon equivalent), plans to bring only 90 units to the U.S. this year and target them primarily at car sharing firms and college campuses. Originally, Toyota had planned a more ambitious rollout but based on feedback from dealers, who said the iQ EV would not resonate with many buyers due to its range of 50 miles (80 km), later revised the car’s launch strategy.
In an effort to boost the appeal of all-electric cars, some manufacturers are looking to sweeten the deal for potential buyers, Nissan recently announced that it will be offering a warranty program for the battery system on its LEAF. Under the terms of the agreement, if the lithium ion battery’s capacity falls below nine bars (out of a total of 12), dealers will replace the battery free of charge. The warranty covers new LEAF models and is also retroactive to cars already sold. It covers battery replacement up to five years and 60,000 miles (100,000 km).
A better bet, at least in terms of sales, are hybrids. Currently, hybrid electric vehicles have a 2.9 per cent market share in the U.S., led by Toyota’s Prius which has seen deliveries of 184,037 units through November 2011, out of a total of 384,511 hybrid vehicles. Second and third in terms of volume were the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Toyota Prius c, with 41,201 and 32,582 deliveries. Rounding out the top five were two Chevrolets, the extended range electric Volt in fourth place (20,828 units) and the Malibu Eco mild hybrid, which came in fifth with 15,823 deliveries through November.
The Environmental Protection Agency, which publishes the Fuel Economy Guide, said it plans to release a second one later this year, which will provide rankings for automakers based on overall fleet fuel economy and emissions.
