EPA to Consumer reports - "your tests are awful" - hybrids do better than you test

I do remember him saying that, and he was right. Several Detroit-labeled cars, non-hybrids even, did meet or exceed 50 mpg CAFE.

And yes, that the GenIII Prius Liftback is a bit over 70 mpg CAFE, handily beating the new future standard. Numerous commentators were unaware of the EPA-CAFE difference, and incorrectly wrote that the new standard is more stringent that Prius' current performance.

 

According to the table I made a few years ago, Prius G2 in 2008 had a CAFE rating of 65.78

 

SageBrush said: ↑​

The president also seemed to be confused by CAFE. Remember when he said that Detroit was producing 50 mpg cars already ?​

I don't know about him saying that but, technically he was right, I think, if you go by the dumb unadjusted EPA numbers, which are what are used for CAFE anyway. 47 mpg combined would be way above "50 mpg" for CAFE purposes.

>>>Yes Obama said it during his first term environmental speech at Georgetown I wanna say March 2011, and we discussed it here at that time. I don't think he has said it since then.

Perfect...that would be exactly analogous to EV MPGe and close to same fossil fuel equivalents as EV at 100 MPGe. I wish I had thought of that.

 

But not everyone lives in RFG areas. I'm asking what blend should the test use if it is to be one everyone actually uses? The standard blend, RFG, or one of California's blends, and which season? There is a marked difference in fuel economy between summer and winter. The rest of us simply aren't using the same gas.

It would be a massive program to change. The public is concerned with the mpg numbers, but the primary purpose of EPA testing is emissions. The pollutant limits for the bins are all based on using the test blend. The manufacturers will cry foul that lower energy test blends should mean changes to the CAFE. Then what do we do if the powers that be get some sense, and cut back on the ethanol amount, or allow methanol or even butanol.

Loop holes aside, the sticker numbers are pretty close to real world. I always wonder when people complain about not getting EPA, if they were even aware of what they were getting in their previous vehicles, and that they should be looking at the percent off from EPA, not the mpg amount.

 

Well, the 2014 Accord Hybrid will shake things up a bit!

 

...I take a hunch guess that the Japan gasoline looks more like EPA certication fuel...E0 with high energy content (non EPA RFG) type gasoline. Let's see what CR says!

PS: sounds like a great car!! Honda itself says 49 MPG US EPA City, so my skeptic hat is still good. I cannot find much on Japan gaso make-up, some talk of 3% ETBE and optional E3. I think that means more energy content than USA gaso. I do not think MT says what fuel they put in there to say 59 MPG.

 

Have problem with "hold ev up to 23 miles"

 

...as in, we're gonna need a bigger battery?

 

Maybe typo for 2.3 miles.

 

Not much more energy content. On average, using E10 results in a 3% drop in fuel economy. Which will drop that 50mpg by 1.77. The accord is a serial hybrid with a battery buffer most of the time. On city streets, it is going to be in EV a good portion of the time. When SOC drops, the engine comes on at an efficient load to power the MG with excess electric going into the battery.

The question I have is what octane rating does the Accord take in Japan. Their regular isn't far of from ours, but the premium is higher. The engine has the compression ratio to take advantage of higher octane. In the new Sonic, which labeled regular fuel for sales purposes, using premium can yield a 5% increase in fuel economy.

 

I absolutely do not want CAFE to go. The EPA numbers deliberately inckude driving behavior. CAFE.is static target that is more reflective of the raw efficiency of a vehicle. Manufacturers should not be forced to hit efficiency targets set based on inefficient driving. It's the loopholes that need to go.

 

Many people seem fearful of the actual results and facts, and ignore them as they would a monster under their bed.

While not perfect, many car companies like Honda and Toyota produce cars that meet or exceed the EPA ratings. Why do people have to keep harping about the EPA and their tests? It's time to put on your big boy/girl panties and start looking at those companies that don't deliver.

 

Let's make it easy: Who needs those fancy MPG displays? | Hemmings Daily