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):
2. Chevy Spark EV — 119 MPGe
3. Volkswagen e-Golf — 116 MPGe
5. Nissan LEAF — 114 MPGe
6. Mitsubishi i-MiEV — 112 MPGe
7. Smart Electric Drive — 107 MPGe & 107 MPGe
8. Kia Soul EV — 105 MPGe
8. Ford Focus Electric — 105 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 |
Tittle should probably read “Most Energy Efficient Cars In 2015 (USA)” as none of the Top-10 vehicles uses fuel per say. 😉
True. I was just going with EPA terminology and what people search 😉
“mpge” is a mystery meat measurement. When comparing pure electrics, I really prefer to use watt-hours per mile, which is quite straightforward.
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.
the list is for cars… not scooter.
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”.
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?
It’s quite small, very light (thanks to extensive use of carbon fiber), and there are also specific internal reasons why as well.
just wondering why the above table doesn’t include the 90kw version of the Tesla model s ?