Automotive Fuel Economy in the U.S. Drops From Recent High, May 2, 2013 by Gary Kopycinski on May 2, 2013 Gary Kopycinski Author More in Automotive: BMW Recalling 1 Million Vehicles November 3, 2017 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Report Finds Sharp Increase in Riskier Longer-term Auto Loans November 2, 2017 Report: Electric Vehicle Adoption in Illinois Will Lead to Billions of Dollars in Benefits September 28, 2017 ANN ARBOR–(ENEWSPF)–May 2, 2013. Fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the U.S. slipped last month for the first time this year, say researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.