2012 Top Vehicles for Fuel Efficiency

The numbers are in, and 2012's top vehicles for fuel efficiency have finally been announced. Auto shipping companies are somewhat surprised at the results, considering sales for some of these vehicles are lower than they should be. But this reflects the state of the automobile industry in the United States more than it does the auto shipping industry. Regardless, here are the top vehicles for each vehicle class for 2012 in terms of vehicle efficiency:

Two-seaters: Honda CR-Z (4 Cylinder) - MPG: 37

Minicompacts: Scion IQ (4 Cylinder) - MPG: 37

Subcompacts: Mitsubishi i-MiEV - MPG: 112*

Compacts: Chevy Volt - MPG: 60*

Midsize Vehicles: Nissan Leaf - MPG: 99*

Large Vehicles: Hyundai Sonata (4 Cylinder) - MPG: 28

*As these vehicles are electric-gasoline hybrids, conversion factors must be used to determine overall fuel efficiency.

Clearly the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is your best bet for fuel efficiency, but not all these cars are the right fit for everyone. The Sonata is a popular vehicle not just because of its fuel efficiency, but because of its brand name and other factors that people use when buying vehicles. So it's not surprising that auto shipping numbers for the Scion IQ or the Mitsubishi I-MiEV are relatively low.

Hybrids Not As Popular As Once Thought

The auto shipping industry is baffled at this, and I am too: hybrid vehicles and plug-in electrics are actually losing favor with the American people, who are starting to turn back to conventionally-powered gasoline vehicles, despite the huge push by the government and automobile manufacturers for alternative-energy vehicles. The main reason is that most gas-powered vehicles have a fuel efficiency that most people are looking for - the Ford Fiesta gets 40 miles per gallon, and most small cars today are pushing 32-35 mpg on average on the freeway. This is big news, especially considering that most auto shipping companies ship conventional vehicles - but have noticed a large increase in the number of hybrids and full-electric vehicles being shipped over the past year or two. With GM now pushing diesel-powered cars in a new advertising campaign, are hybrids going the way of the dodo? It could be, but chances are hybrids are just starting out. Only time will tell.

Mercedes Strong Despite Struggling Economy

The Mercedes name, owned by Daimler Auto Group, has seen strong sales worldwide, selling a gross 1.26 million units. The numbers are impressive, and auto shipping companies can definitely attest to that - Mercedes and Mercedes-Benz vehicles make up part of the majority of vehicles that auto shipping companies ship. Demand is still high for the new B-class compact that Mercedes is unveiling, and a new A-class hatchback which has been in the works is expected to debut soon, much to Mercedes enthusiasts. The company is also pushing smaller, cheaper cars, aimed at young buyers who have a lot of cash to spend (let's face it, Mercedes makes expensive cars). Auto shipping companies have also taken note that Mercedes has secured an investor to allow an additional $2.4 billion in funding to their U.S. operations, a move that has auto shipping companies and, it would seem, auto workers in general, looking forward to Mercedes' bright future.

Distracted Driving Not a Concern?

According to The Wall Street Journal, distracted driving is slowly becoming a non-issue as automakers respond to what electronics consumers are looking for in their vehicles. There's always been a huge discrepancy in what consumers want and what auto manufacturers can deliver, but it's slowly becoming more apparent that technology is finally catching up to the automobile. New systems such as bluetooth, Wi-Fi, in-dash navigation systems that double as restaurant finders and radios are all the rage, and while some consumer advocate groups are decrying the amount of new technologies in cars, the fact is that most consumers not only like their toys-within-toys, but want more of them. This means that automobile makers can play around with including new technologies in their vehicles, and the DOT and NHTSA are going to have their hands full in seeing just what's going to come of it. However, auto shipping companies are keeping it old-school - most auto shipping trucks have some form of navigation system, but oftentimes it's on the driver's phone or a third-party navigation system. Over the coming years, auto shipping trucks might see the same new technologies as consumer cars, but only time will tell.

Chevy Makes Blunder With Cruze, Volt

The Chevrolet Cruze is a gasoline-powered, fuel-efficient car manufactured and distributed by Chevrolet, a marque owned by General Motors. It runs anywhere from $16,000 - $20,000, depending on the package, and is a real saver when it comes to gasoline, netting on average 26 mpg in the city and 38 on the highway. While not as pretty as Ford's numbers, they're pretty good. The only problem is that Chevrolet also manufacturers the Volt, their all-electric vehicle. With a price-tag of $40,000, it's more than double the base price of the Cruze...and, ironically, for not much savings. Experts have crunched the numbers and have determined that for consumers to save the $20,000 in fuel savings they would spend up-front buying the Volt as opposed to the Cruze, it would take almost 20 years. This is a huge problem for the vehicle manufacturer, who expected Volt sales numbers to be higher than most other EV's on the road today. The auto shipping industry has noticed too the lack of Volts that are flowing off dealer show floors, and its a trend that shows no signs of stopping unless Chevy steps in. Perhaps lowering the Volt's price-tag would be a good start?

Oil Rising, No End in Sight

Iran has stopped all exports of oil to Britain and France, a move which has the entire NATO community in an outrage. But as we've seen countless times, political games between warring nations often wreak havoc on the citizens they are sworn to protect - and as oil prices continue to increase, with no end in sight, people are starting to wonder what's next. The auto shipping industry has been hit particularly hard by the hike in prices, with gas prices in some parts of the country hitting over $4/gallon. The auto shipping industry isn't the only transportation industry to be hit hard by the rising fuel prices, and with no sign of them slowing down or stabilizing in the coming days or weeks, some companies have been having a hard time making ends meet. The transportation and logistics industries are the backbone of this country; without them, nothing would get done. Auto shipping companies everywhere are trying hard to keep prices steady, but be warned: prices will most likely be going up for all you auto shipping customers out there. Just don't get too mad when you don't like the price you get.

DOT Not Giving Up on Fighting Distracted Driving

In a recent article by the Detroit News, the US Department of Transportation is pushing auto makers to make vehicles that actively work to limit driver distractions. The department is calling for in-dashboard technology to reduce how often drivers look away from the road or take their hands off the wheel. This includes things such as in-dash radios, GPS navigation systems, systems not unlike Ford's Sync system, and much more. Auto shipping companies are both excited and apprehensive about this; excited, because the roads can be a dangerous place, and many drivers who are distracted can be extreme hazards for giant trucks hauling multiple vehicles, and apprehensive because it's one more thing that the auto shipping companies will have to abide by. But no matter which way you look at it, it's important to limit the distractions that drivers face every day, and auto shipping companies know that as well. We'll keep you updated on the goings on of this as it develops.