SUBSCRIBE to the Fact of the Week
According to the Fueleconomy.gov website, the list of the top ten most fuel efficient light vehicles includes nine electric vehicles (EV) and one plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV). Electric vehicle fuel economy is measured in miles per gallon equivalent, or MPGe, where 33.7 kilowatt-hours of electricity is equal to one gallon of gasoline.
The Hyundai Ioniq Electric, with a combined city/highway fuel economy of 136 MPGe tops the list for model year (MY) 2017. Three vehicles tied for the fifth spot on the list – the Fiat 550e, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, and the Nissan Leaf – with 112 MPGe. The BMW i3 REX, a range-extended electric vehicle, has a combined gasoline/electric city/highway fuel economy rating of 88 MPGe.
Top Ten Most Fuel Efficient Light Vehicles, MY 2017
| Vehicle | Combined Fuel Economy (MPGe) | City/Hwy Fuel Economy (MPGe) |
|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Ioniq Electric Automatic (A1) EV | 136 | 150/122 |
| BMW i3 BEV (60 Amp-hour battery) Automatic (A1) EV | 124 | 137/111 |
| Chevrolet Bolt Automatic (A1) EV | 119 | 128/110 |
| BMW i3 BEV (94 Amp-hour battery) Automatic (A1) EV | 118 | 129/106 |
| Fiat 500e Automatic (A1) EV | 112 | 121/103 |
| Mitsubishi i-MiEV Automatic (A1) EV | 112 | 121/102 |
| Nissan Leaf Automatic (A1) EV | 112 | 124/101 |
| Kia Soul Electric Automatic (A1) EV | 105 | 120/92 |
| BMW i3 REX (94 Amp-hour battery) 0.6 L, 2 cyl, Automatic (A1) PHEV | 88 | 95/81 |
| Mercedes-Benz B250e Automatic (A1) EV | 84 | 85/82 |
Note: A1 = automatic transmission with one speed. | ||