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EPA May Require Real-Life Fuel Economy Stats
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposes that carmakers submit on-the-road data to support their mileage claims.
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposes that carmakers submit on-the-road data to support their mileage claims.
The plan, which has not yet been implemented, would require all companies to use road tests to verify the mileage numbers they calculate from laboratory tests. The agency tells The Wall Street Journal that road testing would better than computer simulations at capturing such effects as air resistance and tire friction.
EPA says an adjustment it made in 2008 to test procedures has better aligned the mileage estimates on new-car window stickers with actual results. But in the past two years Ford, Hyundai and Kia all agreed to lower their fuel economy claims on certain models because of owner complaints.
Not all consumers report problems, however. A Journal analysis shows that consumers who submit their mileage on a government Web site average 1.2 mpg better than the average indicated by their EPA labels.
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