Honda Fit EV receives EPA's highest MPG rating ever

(CBS News/AP) The 2013 Honda Fit EV has received the highest fuel efficiency rating ever from the Environmental Protection Agency, the company said Wednesday. Honda said the electric subcompact received a combined adjusted mile-per-gallon-equivalency rating of 118 mpg (50 kpl).

The Fit consumes 29 kilowatt hours of electricity per 100 miles (160 kilometers). It has an EPA rated annual fuel cost of $500. Honda said the EPA estimates its combined city and highway driving range at 82 miles (130 kilometers) on a single charge.

By comparison, Honda said the electric Ford Focus has a combined adjusted mile-per-gallon-equivalency rating of 105 mpg and a 76-mile range, while the Nissan Leaf has a combined rating of 99 mpg (42 kpl)and a 73-mile (120-kilometer) range. Along with the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the Honda Fit EV and Ford Focus Electric are the only cars to ever have a triple-digit mpg rating.

Honda plans to lease the Fit EV in some California and Oregon markets later this summer, and it will hit the East Coast next year. Initially the company plans to lease the cars for three years at a cost of $389 per month. No other pricing details have been released.