EPA to overhaul fuel economy ratings-reduce estimates for popular hybrids

[hb06]

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hopes to curb such complaints in early December, when it announces new rules for calculating its estimates. They will be rolled out beginning with 2008 model year automobiles."

"Under the proposed rules, the city rating for the Toyota Prius, currently 60 mpg, could drop to about 45 on the 2008 model. The Honda Civic Hybrid's city rating, now 49 mpg, could fall to about 38."

http://www.statesman.com/business/content/...24fuelecon.html

[wile-e]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HBO6 @ Nov 24 2006, 11:05 AM) [snapback]353689[/snapback]</div>

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hopes to curb such complaints in early December, when it announces new rules for calculating its estimates. They will be rolled out beginning with 2008 model year automobiles."

"Under the proposed rules, the city rating for the Toyota Prius, currently 60 mpg, could drop to about 45 on the 2008 model. The Honda Civic Hybrid's city rating, now 49 mpg, could fall to about 38."

http://www.statesman.com/business/content/...24fuelecon.html
[/b]

You have to admire smears of this type. The article goes on to point out that the ratings will drop for all vehicles but only lists changes for Hybrids. Of course what would you expect from an article written deep in the land of Big Oil? The Austin Statesman is not exactly interested in pushing anything that would save gas.....

[john1701a]

It's a fundamentally flawed system. The most common of things, like winter fuel & driving, is missing entirely. Suburb values are absent as well.

There is no follow-up either. Where are the real-world results? Why must we settle for only estimates?

Then we have the plug-in hybrids on the way, which they have absolutely no clue how to deal with.

And how come emission ratings still aren't being added to the window stickers?

[hb06]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(john1701a @ Nov 24 2006, 06:01 PM) [snapback]353812[/snapback]</div>

It's a fundamentally flawed system. The most common of things, like winter fuel & driving, is missing entirely. Suburb values are absent as well.

There is no follow-up either. Where are the real-world results? Why must we settle for only estimates?

Then we have the plug-in hybrids on the way, which they have absolutely no clue how to deal with.

And how come emission ratings still aren't being added to the window stickers?
[/b]

Per the California Dept of Consumer Affairs site: For "HEVs", there will be new emissions testing in 2010 since:

"HEV emissions performance cannot be appropriately determined by current Smog Check inspection procedures. BAR plans to create new testing procedures that are specifically applicable to HEVs and will be used beginning in 2010."

http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/StdPage....eck/hybrid.htm

[priusenvy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(wile-e @ Nov 24 2006, 04:40 PM) [snapback]353799[/snapback]</div>

You have to admire smears of this type. The article goes on to point out that the ratings will drop for all vehicles but only lists changes for Hybrids. Of course what would you expect from an article written deep in the land of Big Oil? The Austin Statesman is not exactly interested in pushing anything that would save gas.....
[/b]

1) Chicago is "deep in the land of Big Oil"?

2) You might want to familiarize yourself with Austin. It probably is more similar to San Francisco than Houston. They don't call it "The Peoples Republic of Austin" for nothing.

[Abq Richard]

The really interesting thing about this, though, is that it could result in a de facto increase in the CAFE standards. If a gutless Congress doesn't roll back the standards, vehicle manufactuers no longer be in compliance and will have to increase fuel efficiency.

[jbarnhart]

This news came out months ago. IIRC the worst part of this is that the EPA is actually fudging the results of a few cars, like the Prius, with some new invented "coefficient" which is supposed to adjust for the unfair advantage of the hybrid powertrain instead of changing the test for all cars. The intent of the change is to make the reported milage of the Prius go down relative to other cars. It's all done for supposedly good intentions -- but I smell a rat.

[Tideland Prius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jbarnhart @ Nov 26 2006, 01:38 AM) [snapback]354148[/snapback]</div>

This news came out months ago. IIRC the worst part of this is that the EPA is actually fudging the results of a few cars, like the Prius, with some new invented "coefficient" which is supposed to adjust for the unfair advantage of the hybrid powertrain instead of changing the test for all cars. The intent of the change is to make the reported milage of the Prius go down relative to other cars. It's all done for supposedly good intentions -- but I smell a rat.
[/b]

LOL

riiight.

Whatever. Even in Germany, the official rating is 4.5L/100km. That's only 0.2L/100km less than the 4.3L/100km rating of the US. In Canada, the Prius is rated at 4.1L/100km

[DaveinOlyWA]

the rating for city on the Prius has always been high to me. i still get those figures and more, but only under better than average city driving conditons. the highway figures are a joke and can easily be obtained even under less than ideal situations and speeds so an adjustment should be made.

for one thing the stark difference in mileage bet summer and winter means there should be ratings for at the very least, two different temperature ranges with and without accessories like AC.

sounds complicated??? i think that the mere acceptance of the internet and the computer says that we expect, demand and need as much information as we can digest. some will ignore all but the overall weighted figure and others will want more than the detailed situations and scenarios.

i think we need the information available so we can make our own judgments.

[PA]

I sure am glad I got my Prius before they lowered the EPA mileage estimates!