Most Fuel Efficient Cars In 2015 (USA)

Our “most fuel efficient cars in 2014” article was one of the most popular articles on the site for a long time… and now it’s time for an update. Of course, US cars just keep getting more and more efficient, especially electric cars, which lead the pack. The most efficient cars on the market are all electric cars. In fact, every electric car on the market is more efficient than even the most efficient conventional hybrid car (the Toyota Prius). Some of them are more than twice as efficient. As you scroll through the list below, note that the Prius has a MPG rating of 50.

If you are not familiar with MPGe, it is a rating created by the EPA to determine the relative efficiency of an electric car compared to a gasoline car. Technically, it means “miles per gallon equivalent.” There are various assumptions that go into that efficiency rating, and how clean your electric car actually is is largely dependent on your electricity source, but MPGe is generally good for comparing to conventional gasmobiles and hybrids.

Before jumping into the “most fuel efficient cars in 2015” list, I’ll note that there’s a full table of US and European (not rated) electric cars under the article, and there’s more information about all of these cars on our “Electric Cars 2015” page.

On to the list! Here are the top 10 most fuel efficient cars in the US in 2015 (and I will update this as more electric cars arrive on the market in 2015):

bmw electric car

1. BMW i3 — 124 MPGe

2. Chevy Spark EV — 119 MPGe

3. Volkswagen e-Golf — 116 MPGe

3. Fiat 500e — 116 MPGe

5. Nissan LEAF114 MPGe

6. Mitsubishi i-MiEV — 112 MPGe

7. Smart Electric Drive — 107 MPGe & 107 MPGe

8. Kia Soul EV105 MPGe

8. Ford Focus Electric105 MPGe

10. Tesla Model S (60 kWh) — 95 MPGe

Here’s a full table with the efficiency of more electric cars and other info to boot:

EPA Efficiency Rating (MPGe) on Battery Electric-Only Range (EPA except when in km first) Price $ after US federal tax credit Type Other Notes
BMW i3 124 81 miles $41,350 $33,850 100% electric or REx 39 MPG on gas
Volkswagen e-Golf 116 83 miles $35,445 $27,945 100% electric
Nissan LEAF 114 84 miles $29,010 $21,510 100% electric
Smart Electric Drive 107 68 miles $25,000 (or $19,990 + $80/Month Battery Rental) $17,500, or $12,490 + $80/month 100% electric
Ford Focus Electric 105 76 miles $29,170 $21,670 100% electric
Toyota Prius PHEV 95 11 miles $29,990 $27,490 Plug-in Hybrid 50 MPG on gas
Tesla Model S 95 208 miles | 253 | 265 | 270 $71,070 $63,570 100% awesome
Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric 84 84 miles $41,450 $33,950 100% electric
BMW i8 76 15 miles $135,700 $131,907 Plug-in Hybrid 28 MPG
BYD e6 62 200 kilometers (122 miles) $52,000 100% electric Only fleets in US
Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid 50 22 miles $99,000 $94,248 Plug-in Hybrid 25 MPG on gas
Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 47 14 miles $76,400 $71,064 Plug-in Hybrid 22 MPG on gas
Bolloré Bluecar 250 kilometers (155 miles) €12,000 + €80/mo battery (France) 100% electric Only fleets in US
Chevy Spark EV 119 82 miles $27,495 $19,995 100% electric
Honda Accord Plug-in 115 13 miles $39,780 $36,154 Plug-in Hybrid 46 MPG on gas
Fiat 500e 116 87 miles $31,800 $24,800 100% electric
Mitsubishi i 112 62 miles $22,995 $15,495 100% electric
Kia Soul EV 105 93 miles $33,700 $26,200 100% electric
Ford Fusion Energi 88 21 miles $34,700 $30,693 Plug-in Hybrid 38 MPG on gas
Ford C-Max Energi 88 21 miles $31,635 $27,885 Plug-in Hybrid 38 MPG on gas
Cadillac ELR 82 37 miles $75,000 $67,500 Plug-in Hybrid 33 MPG on gas
Chevy Volt 62 38 miles $34,345 $26,845 Plug-in Hybrid 98 MPGe on battery; 37 MPG on gas

9 thoughts on “Most Fuel Efficient Cars In 2015 (USA)

  1. “mpge” is a mystery meat measurement. When comparing pure electrics, I really prefer to use watt-hours per mile, which is quite straightforward.

  2. These cars are not remotely close to being the worlds most efficient electric vehicle for the highway. The ZEV LRC, 80 mph SuperScooter is the champ with 636 miles per gallon e at 55 mph, and 1200 if driven at 35 mph. Thats 140 miles on 7.5 kwh. 53 watts/mile. http://www.zelectricvehicle.com Postings by owners on forums show only slightly less than the company controlled test with 127 miles being reported on 7.5 kwh by one owner on 7.5 kwh with snow tires on the bike no less.

  3. Whoever made the chart wanted to screw the Chevy Volt. They have – in a column titled EPA Efficiency Rating (MPGe) on Battery – 62 for the Volt. Then over in the column titled – Other Notes – they say: “98 MPGe on battery”.

  4. Any ideas on why the BMW i3 has the top efficiency? I find it a bit strange that the EPA MPGe is ~25% better than the Tesla S when the CDA is considerably worse. (0.690 m^2 compared with 0.57 m^2). What is the EPA MPGe actually measuring?

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