Honda's 2013 Fit EV Earns EPA's Best-Ever Fuel-Efficiency Rating

Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC) said its 2013 Fit EV scored the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s highest-ever fuel-efficiency rating, a big win in the auto sector as oil prices continue to rise and push consumers away from gas guzzling vehicles.

With a city/highway estimated driving range of 82-miles, the Fit EV surpasses Ford’s (NYSE:F) Focus Electric, which has a 76-mile range, the Nissan Leaf, with a 73-mile range, and  Mitsubishi’s 62-mile range i-MiEV.

The compact car received a mile-per-gallon equivalency rating from the EPA of 118 MPGe – six points higher than Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV, the next best, and consumption rating of 29 kilowatt hours per 100 miles.

The Fit EV operates on a 20-kWh rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which Honda says can recharge in less than 3 hours when connected to a 240-volt circuit, and a 123 horsepower coaxial electric motor.

Comparatively, the Ford Focus Electric and Nissan Leaf have higher battery capacity of 23 kWh and 24 kWh, respectively, while all three surpass Mitsubishi’s 16 kWh.

The agency estimated the Japanese car’s annual fuel cost of $500.

The battery-electric vehicle debut at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show and Honda says it expects to begin leasing the 2013 Fit EV in select California and Oregon markets during the summer of 2012, followed by an East Coast rollout in 2013.