By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The fuel efficiency of new U.S. vehicles hit a record high in 2015 even as more Americans bought larger trucks and SUVs instead of cars, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Wednesday. The EPA said the average fuel efficiency of new vehicles reached a record 24.8 miles per gallon in the 2015 model year, up 0.5 mpg from 2014, and projected that 2016 model year fleet fuel efficiency would rise to 25.6 mpg. The fuel economy of U.S. vehicles has increased by 2.4 mpg since 2011, the year before Greenhouse Gas and Fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles took effect, while emissions per mile traveled decreased by 10 percent, the EPA said.
