Texas Drivers Take Note: Gas Prices Down, Fuel Economy Up

AUSTIN, Texas – Gas prices across Texas range widely, but the statewide average has dipped to about $3 a gallon. That isn’t the only way drivers are saving money at the pump, however.

According to a new report, model year 2013 vehicles hit an all-time high for gas mileage with an average of slightly more than 24 miles per gallon – up nearly five miles per gallon over the last decade. That shows that automakers are continually working to improve fuel economy, said Will Toor, transportation program director for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project.

“Leading automakers, I think, really partnered with the administration and said, ‘We can do this, and we’re not going to fight it,’ and instead are really focusing on a variety of improvements,” Toor said.

As of 2025, new vehicles in the United States will be required by the Environmental Protection Agency to average 54 miles per gallon.

Toor said getting better gas mileage will have a positive impact on reducing the emissions that cause climate change.

“Emissions from transportation account for about a third of the greenhouse-gas emissions in the United States,” he said, “and the bulk of that is from personal vehicles.”

The EPA projects that the increased fuel standards will double fuel economy by 2025, cut vehicle greenhouse-gas emissions by half and save Americans $1.7 trillion at the gas pump.

The report is online at epa.gov. Consumer-posted gas prices for Texas are at texasgasprices.com.