Update January 5, 2015: a new list and article has been published of the “Most Fuel Efficient Cars In 2015 (USA).” It’s quite similar, but there are a few changes in the cars on the list.
The most “fuel efficient” cars in the US are all plug-in cars, of course. The top 11 are 100% electric cars, followed by plug-in hybrid electrics. Every plug-in car on the market is more fuel efficient than the top-ranked non-plug-in car, the Toyota Prius. The Toyota Prius has a fuel efficiency rating of 50 MPG, while the top-ranked BMW i3 has a fuel efficiency rating of 124 MPGe. The 100% electric vehicle lowest on the list is the Toyota RAV4 EV at 76 MPGe, nearly twice as much as the Toyota Prius.
Update May 27, 2014: The BMW i3 and BMW i3 REx have now been added to the ratings below.
Update April 23, 2014: Tesla Model S models and the Nissan LEAF have now been added by the EPA and in the list below.
Update Dec 5, 2013: It seems that the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S aren’t on this list because the EPA has created the list for 2014 models only and it doesn’t have 2014 model data for those. I’ll update this post (and) write a new announcement, when I see the list updated again. Of course, other electric cars also might make the cut once their 2014 fuel economy ratings are in.
The US EPA and DOE have released an updated list of the top 10 most fuel efficient cars on the US auto market in 2014. This year, the Chevy Spark EV, which has gotten some very positive reviews (especially for its zippiness) tops the list. Of course, this isn’t simply supposed to be a list of the most fuel efficient electric cars (…er, most electricity efficient?), but that’s what it has ended up becoming. All 10 vehicles below are plug-in vehicles. The first 7 are 100% electric vehicles, while the remaining 3 are plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Unfortunately, those top 3 most fuel efficient cars are sold in just a few markets, and aren’t even being manufactured in high enough numbers to meet demand. When are these manufacturers going to step up and at least start producing enough for the people who want them?
Note that this is a list of 2014 models only, so it doesn’t include some of the electric cars on the market... well, I think it’s just the Mitsubishi i-MiEV that’s missing now.