Ford Focus Named Most Fuel-Efficient Car

The Environmental Protection Agency has recently named the Ford Focus as the most fuel-efficient car sold in the United States, with a 110 mpg-e (miles per gallon equivalent) rating. This makes it the most efficient five-passenger car, beating out the next-closest Nissan Leaf by a wide margin. The Focus is all-electric and gets 99 mpg-e on the highway (electric vehicles are more efficient when it comes to city driving than highway), but the biggest draw for consumers is the quick recharge time (half the time of the Nissan Leaf) as well as how roomy and comfortable it is. Many auto shipping companies have noticed a slight increase in the number of Focus Electrics being shipped, but on the whole it just means that Ford is continuing to do what it set out to do after the global economic meltdown: made good cars at competitive prices so people have things to get around in.

Increase in Chrysler Sales No Accident

It's been a surprising change of pace, seeing the floundering Chrysler Group's sales skyrocket virtually overnight, but it's been a welcomed one. Chrysler, who had to accept government bailout money in 2008, has been hard against the ropes trying to salvage the company, but so far it seems they've done it - and more. Chrysler saw a 40% sales increase in February 2012 as opposed to 2011, marking its 23rd consecutive month with higher sales figures than the year before. Chrysler SEO Sergio Marchionne has attributed the recent success to creative marketing, customer satisfaction and an improvement in their vehicles, among other reasons. The auto shipping industry has noticed a steady rise in the number of Chrysler vehicles being shipped, which could only be good news for the company as it continues to compete in the ever-more-lucrative world of automobiles.

Vehicle Rearview Cameras Save Lives

According to recent government studies, most fatalities involving a car going in reverse are due to the driver not being able to adequately see behind the vehicle. The government is now planning on passing legislation that would force all automobile manufacturers to provide rearview cameras on all passenger vehicles starting in 2014 - standard, not as an option. This is good news for many pedestrians in cities where backing up into streets can be hazardous, especially on busy streets where driveways are obscured. Not only that, but having better rearview cameras in cars have been shown to not only reduce accidents in reverse, but accidents in general. The auto shipping industry is exempt from these new laws, as they aren't technically passenger vehicles, but the technology might not be too far behind for auto shipping companies.

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.