Study: Pickup Drivers Shortchanged at the Pump
Poll: Pickup Drivers Want Better Gas Mileage

Just two of every 10 vehicles sold are pickup trucks, but six of the 10 most expensive vehicles to fuel in 2002 are pickups, according to a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists.  The study, which analyzed the 50 most popular car and truck models, found that the Dodge Ram is the most expensive vehicle at the pump, with Ram owners paying over $250 more per year on gas than the average light truck driver, and nearly $13,000 for gas over the lifetime of the vehicle.

Also released today, a national survey of pickup truck drivers by the Mellman Group found that an overwhelming 76 percent of pickup drivers favor increasing the average miles per gallon of pickup trucks. Fully 87 percent say they are willing to pay an additional $500 for a new, higher-mileage, pickup truck when informed that they could expect to save $2,000 on their gasoline bills over the life of the truck. The survey also found pickup drivers are skeptical of arguments advanced by industry.  For example, only 8 percent believe that automakers will stop building pickups if they are required to meet higher fuel economy standards. Of the 600 pickup drivers surveyed between August 3-8, 57 percent live in small towns and rural areas.

"Pickup drivers are disproportionately burdened at the gas pump," said UCS Senior Analyst David Friedman, an engineer and author of the new study.  "Off-the-shelf technology could improve the fuel economy of light trucks by 30 percent, which would save drivers more than $300 per year in gas costs."

The new UCS report, Paying at the Pump: 2002 Analysis of Vehicles and Gasoline Costs, used local gas price projections to calculate gas costs for drivers in 41 cities across the U.S., and reveals the 10 best and worst vehicles at filling stations across the nation (see report for complete city list and vehicle rankings). The study is based on 2001 vehicle sales and 2002 gas price projections.

In contrast to the poor fuel economy of popular models of pickups and SUVs, the best sellers among cars are actually vehicles with the best gas mileage. An owner of a Honda Accord, the most popular car in the US, will spend $1,087 less in lifetime fuel costs than will a Ford Taurus driver. The average owner of a Honda Civic, the best-selling compact, spends $625 per year at the pump, about half the $1,249 spent by drivers of a Ford Explorer, the best selling SUV.