At the risk of sounding like a marketing flack, we'll just say it: The Honda Fit EV is the most fuel-efficient vehicle ever rated by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The electric Fit, set to debut this summer in California and Oregon before heading to the East Coast in 2013, set 118 combined electric miles per "gallon," or MPGe. MPGe is the EPA's way of rating electric cars in the same fashion as gasoline models, by converting electricity's equivalent energy, in kilowatts, to a gallon of gasoline.

In this manner, the Fit EV beats the Nissan Leaf (99 MPGe), Ford Focus Electric (105 MPGe) and Mitsubishi i (112 MPGe). It also beats them in terms of estimated range: The Fit EV supposedly can cover 82 miles in combined city and highway driving -- though, as with most EVs, the range will vary tremendously depending on climate and topography.

At $37,415, it costs way more than a loaded Accord and about that of a new BMW 328i. Leases will start at $389 per month for three years. Of course, there's a $7,500 electric-vehicle tax credit, but unlike a cash rebate, this just lowers what a buyer owes on his income taxes.

Overall, the Fit EV's efficiency sounds impressive, especially for a car with a lithium-ion battery pack that's several kilowatt-hours short of its competitors. Honda hasn't released official specs, but we'd say the efficiency is due to the Fit's smaller size and, hence, its likely lower weight.

We'll stop short of extolling the Fit EV until we drive it later this month in California. When we drive it in New England, which has few public charging stations are and 10-degree winter weather, then we'll really know if it's any good.

[Source: Honda]