DETROIT – A new University of Michigan study reveals the auto industry reached a high for the average miles per gallon of new vehicles, the New York Times reports.

For all cars and trucks sold last month, the average fuel economy was 24.9 miles per gallon, nearly five miles per gallon higher than the 20.1 m.p.g. recorded in October 2007, when the university’s Transportation Research Institute began tracking the data.

The higher ratings reflect an industry focus on increasing fuel efficiency to meet federal standards for corporate average fuel economy, or CAFE, as well as an increase in the number of hybrid and electric vehicles. The data indicates that automakers are on pace to meet interim goals agreed to with the Obama administration.

Under the new government standards, automakers have agreed to a CAFE mandate of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, and 54.5 m.p.g. by 2025.

One of the University of Michigan researchers, Michael Sivak, said the mileage improvements since 2007 reflected sustained gains across the industry.

“The 4.8 m.p.g. improvement in the source of the past six years is significant both by itself and in comparison to the change in vehicle fuel economy over the past 90 years,” he said.

According to auto research firms Edmunds.com and Kelley Blue Book, fuel economy is one of the highest priorities consumers look for when buying a new vehicle.