This story appeared a month ago, but I thought I’d take a look at it again. Is fuel economy the driving force behind customer choice of vehicle?
The simple answer is yes, but before I get to that, I thought the following quote was most telling: “The gas guzzlers reign supreme in the American auto market,” Fox Business’ guest Marc Morano of ClimateDepot.com said in an interview with Stuart Varney. True, full-size truck sales have been surging, but it’s not because Americans are on a mean streak [as opposed to a green streak].
So, why are full-size truck sales on the rise? Tell me, have you ever tried to haul lumber or other building materials in a Toyota Prius? Probably not, but the rebounding housing market means that there are a lot more building materials on the move, and the best way happens to be in the back of a shiny new full-size pickup truck.
Do Americans care about fuel economy? According to research done by Ford, “fuel economy is still a top driver, if not the top driver, of consumer choices.” Actually, the average fuel economy of the light vehicle fleet in the US is on the rise, actually reaching an all-time high of 24.6mpg in March. Fuel pricing and green car regulations and incentives are helping more people than ever to get into a clean and fuel efficient vehicle.
Fox Business’ Stuart Varney said “it’s time for Uncle Sam to slam the brakes on those green car incentives” and that Americans are “going for the gas guzzlers.” Next time, we hope Mr. Varney will think before he speaks, or at least clean his foot first.
