Nissan Group becomes No. 1 full-line manufacturer in EPA’s annual fuel economy review

• Nissan Group takes lead as most fuel efficient full-line automaker with largest year-over-year improvement among any automotive manufacturer
• Lightweight engineering strategy, improved aerodynamics and efficient transmissions drive fuel economy improvements

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nissan Group is the most fuel efficient full-line automaker in the United States, according to the 2014 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) "Trends" Report. Nissan’s fleet-wide fuel economy rating of 26.2 combined¹ mpg was highest among all full-line automakers in the annual report, which is the authoritative reference on new light-duty vehicle carbon dioxide emissions, fuel economy and powertrain technology trends in the United States.

Nissan’s 26.2 combined mpg rating, based on 2013 model-year Nissan and Infiniti vehicles, marks a 2.1 combined mpg (8.7 percent) improvement over 2012 model-year Nissan and Infiniti vehicles, the largest year-over-year gain among all manufacturers. The 26.2 combined mpg mark is 4.4 percent more efficient than the No. 2 spot and exceeds the full-line automaker industry average (manufacturers offering vehicles for sale in every product segment) of 23.3 combined mpg by 12.4 percent.

As a full-line automobile manufacturer, Nissan sells passenger cars, SUVs, CUVs, mid-size and full-size pickup trucks, compact and full-size vans, a taxi, vehicles with V-8 engines, a 545-horsepower supercar, luxury hybrid vehicles, and a zero-emissions plug-in battery electric vehicle – a range of products to meet consumer needs across the full spectrum of product segments.²

"Reaching this point is a direct result of a dedicated company-wide effort to scrutinize every aspect of each new model to extract the most fuel efficiency possible," said Pierre Loing, vice president, Product Planning, Nissan North America. "Our engineers and designers have worked hard to get us here, and we look to continuously improve fuel efficiency of our models to face the challenges of future regulations while surpassing customer expectations."

The realization of this accomplishment came in part due to the introduction of three all-new fuel-efficient models for the 2013 model year - Altima, Pathfinder and Sentra.  These models each brought a significant improvement in fuel efficiency to the marketplace compared to their predecessors. Average combined fuel economy for the 2013 Altima sedan improved 4 mpg or 14.8 percent. The most fuel-efficient 2013 Sentra model improved from 30 mpg to 34 mpg combined, or just over 13 percent compared to the model it replaced. The 2013 Pathfinder SUV saw the largest gains, with an almost 30-percent year-over-year improvement and a combined fuel economy of 22 mpg⁴.

Fuel economy improvements are attributed to several key engineering advancements such as reduced powertrain friction, improved aerodynamics and the use of efficient Xtronic transmissions. Nissan also employs an engineering lightweight strategy to all new models to significantly reduce vehicle curb weight – a key factor to improving fleet fuel economy. Nissan reduced the weight of the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder by 500 pounds, the 2013 Nissan Sentra by 150 pounds and 80 pounds for the 2013 Nissan Altima.

Click image to enlarge

Nissan expects continued improvements in future model years. Next year’s report will include the Rogue, which was completely redesigned for model year 2014 and achieves a capable combined average of 28 mpg – 3 mpg better than the model it replaced⁵. The trend will continue with future models like the all-new 2015 Murano and next-generation Maxima, as well as the upcoming all-new Titan full-size pickup truck. Murano features an ultra-low, sports-car-like .31 coefficient of drag, lower curb weight and efficiency improvements in its powertrain. Maxima and Titan will also feature improved efficiency without compromise to the customer.

For more on Nissan’s fuel efficient vehicle line-up, visit NissanNews.com/FuelEconomy. To view the entire EPA Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends Report, please visit http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/fetrends/1975-2014/420s14001.pdf.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the Americas media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 244,500 employees globally, Nissan sold almost 5.2 million vehicles and generated revenue of 10.5 trillion yen (USD 105 billion) in fiscal 2013. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history with almost 50 percent share of the zero-emission vehicle segment.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

¹ 2013 Model Year EPA Fuel Economy Estimate. Actual mileage may vary with driving conditions – use for comparison only.

² Excluded from this report: cargo vehicles over 8,500 lbs. GVWR and passenger vehicles over 10,000 lbs. GVWR.

³ Table based on MY 2011 and MY 2012 data from 2013 Trends report and MY 2013 data from 2014 Trends report: http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/fetrends/1975-2013/420r13011.pdf.

⁴ Compared to most fuel efficient version of MY 2012 Altima, Sentra and Pathfinder, according to official EPA numbers. Visit www.fueleconomy.gov for fuel economy estimates of each specific vehicle.

⁵ Compared to most fuel efficient MY 2013 Rogue, according to official EPA numbers. Visit www.fueleconomy.gov for fuel economy estimates of MY 2013 and MY 2014 Rogue.

# # #

Media Contact:

Steve Yaeger
Office: 615-725-4443
E-mail: steve.yaeger@nissan-usa.com