USA Today: EPA investigating gas mileage in advanced hybrid vehicles

Ford gets to enjoy their hype for now. Better to under promise and over deliver than what Ford has dished out with FF and C-Max.

Shall we guess a more accurate EPA rating for the two? I'll wager...

C-Max : 39 city/ 37hwy/38 combined
FF : same

 

Woops...!

The Environmental Protection Agency has launched an evaluation of whether its gas mileage estimates are realistic for new, advanced types of hybrid cars.

The probe centers on a generation of hybrids that now can drive at up to highway speeds on electric power alone. Chris Grundler, EPA's director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality says he wants to be sure that the EPA's testing procedures are keeping up with the latest technology in setting mileage ratings.

"This is a different type of hybrid and we need to understand it," he told USA TODAY in an interview.

EPA's action underscores how quickly automotive technology is evolving and making it harder to keep up with ways to provide accurate consumer information for families to use in making what is usually their second biggest purchases after their homes.

The agency's action comes after Consumer Reports said that the gas mileage it got in in real-world use of two advanced Ford hybrids, the C-Max crossover and Fusion sedan -- 37 mpg and 39 mpg overall respectively -- fell well short of their EPA ratings of 47 mpg in mixed driving.

The EPA's evaluation could result in changes in the labeling that EPA requires on cars' windshields and its website, said Grundler.

One problem, he said, is that the newest breed of hybrids are extra sensitive to driving habits. A hybrid driven aggressive might get far worse gas mileage than a similar conventional car. "If you drive a hybrid the way you drive your Porsche, you are going to get less (gas mileage) than the national average."

EPA now is preparing a Ford C-Max for testing in its Ann Arbor, Mich., test facility. Ford says the C-Max can run up 62 miles per hour on electric power alone before the gas engine has to help. While there's also an all-electric version of C-Max, Grundler said the current testing will center on the hybrid. Grundler said the evaluation also could include General Motors' Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in electric that has a backup gas engine, but said that car has not been a source of complaints about its ratings not matching real-world results.

Such EPA testing is not routine. Mileage testing is typically done by automakers, following rules detailed by the agency, which then spot checks about 15% to be sure its procedures are being followed.

In addition to owner dissatisfaction, gas mileage ratings are increasingly resulting in lawsuits. Two California law firms are consolidating suits by hundreds of owners of Ford Fusion and C-Max hybrids into a class action.

And a potential settlement of lawsuits over several Hyundai and Kia models came before a federal judge in Los Angeles on Thursday. The companies lowered gas mileage ratings on certain models last year on EPA's orders after it was determined that the test results they submitted to the EPA were faulty. Grundler says EPA's investigation into inflated Hyundai and Kia mileage ratings is "ongoing" and declined to comment on it.

EPA evaluating how it rates gas mileage for hybrids

 

Well that is good news, dont know how it helps those of us getting well under the ratings, but still good news.

 

If it does come to that, then Ford went backwards.

 

I was thinking today about Car Reviews claiming that the Prius v has a 'CVT drone', and wondering why I never heard it. And it hit me. I pay for my gas and they don't pay for theirs, so they are full throttle 100% of their drive. I do not hear it as I never need full throttle to pass farm equipment.

Consumer Reports admits that they brake very hard in their mileage loop, so are not getting much regen. It is a testament to how frugal a Prius is that CR still comes as close to EPA as they do in a Prius. (CR got 41 MPG with the Prius v)

 

How many articles and reviews have I seen were the C-Max is up against the Prius V... I'm sure their sales will be impacted.

 

Meaning the previous gen FF had higher rated MPGs?

Meanwhile Cam Hy took a solid leap from about 34 to 41 combined in base model. Fuelly shows 34 aggregate in 2008 - 2011 up to 38.x in 2012.

I didn't baby the '12 Cam Hy LE and it clocked 43.x on dash and more at the pump.

 

The Most Fuel-Efficient Cars | Best Cars for Gas - Consumer Reports

The Prius Plug-in was not tested? I wonder how CR would compare its mileage to the Volt (61 CR overall MPG) and the Fisker Karma Eco Sport (44 CR overall MPG), the only two PHEVs listed... I get well over 61 overall MPG in my PiP, and I have an average daily commute of 36 miles round trip with only one charge a day.

 

2010 Fusion Hybrid ratings, 36 highway, 41 city 39 combined. I nail it and exceed it. I dont baby mine either, I just drive it. When I want to get above EPA I do. My Avatar pic is one taken after a trip on the interstate. 50 MPG on a 68 mile trip doing 65-70.

Only time I see 50 in the 2013 is downhill on EV only coming back from lunch, which doesnt say much. I get consistently better MPG in the 10 than I do in the 13.

 

I hear the drone too but it really doesnt bother me for that 10 seconds i hear it to accelerate especially when my avg. mpg only goes from 51-49.8 then right back up

 

My interpretation of the article is that the EPA is changing the test, not certifying the Ford models on the current test. However, if the vehicles produce the same numbers for the EPA that they did for Ford on the same test that validates the numbers and only proves that Ford optimized FE for the test.

If the EPA changes the test then everyone's numbers get adjusted.

 

If Ford designed the car to ace the EPA tests, but in real world driving cant even match previous gen ratings, that wont hold up very well. Would this be why Ford insisted the EPA change its testing?

 

No, higher real world MPGs. Various owners and even Uncle Wayne seemed pleased with the original FF Hybrid.

 

I find it interesting that the Cmax and Fusion are 'failing' their mileage ratings, and yet these exact same hybrids are available in plug-in versions. It seems to me a great way for Ford to potentially promote - or even upgrade, as part of a recall settlement - to Energi models.
Not happy with Cmax/Fusion hybrid mpg? Get an Energi!

 

Leave it to Ford to launch a federal investigation or something like that

 

+1

I agree that Consumer reports is not a very good indication of real world or even comparative mpg. We do have Wayne over at ecomoder doing a fairly good comparative test though, he of course gets much better city mileage than consumer reports, and better than we will get in the real world, but they are indicative of comparative mpg between hybrids. The c-max did much worse on wayne's highway test than could be expected from its epa highway rating. The c-max great on consumer reports city test, but relatively underperformed on Wayne's.

Its good epa is looking into their tests. Most people exceed highway and do worse in the city in the real world. They need higher highway speeds to accurately display the differences which will hurt the C-max, trucks, and SUVs. They also need to do more old engine testing so hybrid owners get a fair indication of that.

 

Based on the results I got in my 2010 Fusion Hybrid is one of the main reasons I bought the 2013 model. I am just so damned glad I did not trade up my 2010 for it, or I would be extremely pissed.

Pretty sad a 3 year old car can get better fuel economy than a new one rated higher.