Photo via Department of Energy.

Photo via Department of Energy.

Automakers have increased the number of fuel-efficient car models and classes available to fleet buyers for the 2015 model year, according to the the annual fuel economy guide from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE).

The “best-in class” list from the Nov. 6 report gave high marks to the Nissan LEAF (mid-size car), Ford C-MAX Hybrid (large car), Kia Soul Electric (small station wagon), and Toyota Prius V (mid-size station wagon). Commercial fleets added 2,422 C-MAX cars in 2013.

When excluding battery-electric vehicles from the pool of 2015 models, the Toyota Prius C Hybrid, Toyota Prius Hybrid, and Toyota Prius V ranked most fuel efficient in their class. The Honda Fit was rated most efficient for small station wagons.

The EPA ranked luxury manufacturers such as Bentley, Ferrari, and Rolls-Royce as the least fuel efficient vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG sedan received low-ratings for fuel efficiency in the mid-size station wagon segment.

Rankings are based on combined city and highway fuel economy estimates (weighted by 55 percent city and 45 percent highway).

The report also includes information about diesel vehicles, compressed natural gas vehicles, fuel cells, EVs, hybrids, and ethanol flexible fuel vehicles.  

The Fuel Economy Guide also provides an annual fuel cost estimate for each vehicle using national mileage estimates, mpg ratings, and average fuel prices. The online version of the guide allows users to enter their own gasoline price information to receive a personalized fuel cost estimate. The guide also features a greenhouse gas emissions rating for each model.

Click to see the 2014 Fuel Economy Guide.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet

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