Image: @_HannahRitchie on Twitter
Oxford University researcher Hannah Ritchie (@_HannahRitchie) recently shared a detailed chart breaking down and comparing the fuel economy of cars sold in the U.S., split by manufacturer and based on data from the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA).
Ritchie’s analysis included both internal combustion engine-powered vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs), using the miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) figures for the latter. In addition, the chart considers an average of the city and highway efficiencies for each vehicle as the fuel economy.
Tesla topped all other automakers on the chart, and by a massive margin. Trailing behind Tesla in terms of fuel economy in the U.S. were Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Ford, General Motors, Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes.
Oxford University researcher @_HannahRitchie 's chart illustrates average fuel efficiency of vehicles sold in the U.S., by automaker.
Tesla is #1 and it's not close.
See links in the replies showing how much cleaner EVs are over their full life cycle.$TSLA @elonmusk https://t.co/vKGKG7WOzu
— James Stephenson (@ICannot_Enough) April 8, 2023
In addition, Ritchie’s chart also shows that the fuel economy for Tesla’s EVs has grown significantly over time.
The analysis demonstrates that Tesla is far beyond any of its competitors when it comes to average fuel economy. Going all-electric is becoming an increasingly compelling option in the U.S., especially with a Tesla, considering its eligibility for tax credits and the company’s frequent price cuts in recent months.
That said, Tesla is the sole EV-only brand included in Ritchie’s chart. Other electric-only automakers selling vehicles in the U.S., such as Rivian, would have a similar lead in fuel economy over traditional automakers whose product portfolios, while moving towards all-electric, are largely made up of combustion engines.
