U.S. light vehicles maintained their record-high average fuel efficiency for the third consecutive month in May, even as light-truck market share rose.
Global auto makers delivered 7.14 million units in the month, compared with 6.77 million year-ago, according to WardsAuto data, as all markets, including Europe, showed improvement.
For the second consecutive month, U.S. light vehicles attained record fuel efficiency even as sales continued to shift toward traditionally less-efficient segments.
The benchmark FEI score was achieved in the face of strong sales of vehicles from the less-efficient segments: pickups (16.7 mpg), SUVs (17.6 mpg) and Large CUVs (19.4 mpg).
Downturns in all major regions except North America left global vehicle sales lagging 5.2% behind like-2012 levels for the month. Still, January-February volume outpaced year-ago results.