All About Japan Autos

Has the economy forced us all to become environmentalists.

In a press release, the American Petroleum Institute writes, “Reflecting the ongoing sluggish economic recovery, U.S. gasoline deliveries for the first half of 2010 averaged 8.88 million barrels per day, 0.6 percent lower than the corresponding period a year ago.”

“The numbers for the month of June paint a more vivid picture of our declining need for gas, says Autoblog; “June gasoline deliveries of 9.18 million barrel per day were the lowest level for any June on record since 2004 and were 0.5 percent lower than June 2009 deliveries. To gain a better understanding of the numbers, gasoline prices in 2004 barely cracked $2, whereas prices now sit at a nationwide average just north of $2.70.”

While the economy is certainly playing a role in lowering gasoline demand, some analysts speculate that the switch to vehicles with better fuel economy may explain the drop. After all, for the first time since 2007, car sales are outstripping truck and SUV sales. Plus, a wave of attractive and comfortable small cars, like the Honda Fit, have been slowly winning fans over. When new small cars, like the Ford Fiesta and Chevy Cruze, as well as electric cars, like the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt, come to market, it will be interesting to see if the country’s demand for fuel will continue to decline.

If you’re in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.