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EPA Updates Fuel Economy Test
The U.S.
#economics #regulations
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has modified rules used by carmakers to calculate fuel economy ratings. The changes aim to make estimated fuel-economy levels more realistic.
The new rules clarify how manufacturers calculate road load values in coast-down tests to estimate aerodynamic drag and tire rolling resistance. The values are used to calibrate dynamometers upon which carmakers run their vehicles through EPA's test cycle.
The tweaks come after the EPA discovered errors in the calculations by four carmakers. The agency subsequently fined and/or ordered Ford, Hyundai, Kia and Mercedes-Benz to lower their fuel-economy claims. The agency's audits of cost-down data are continuing.
Chris Grundler, director of EPA's Office of Transportation Air Quality, tells Automotive News the agency also plans to tighten rules that have allowed carmakers to apply the same fuel economy estimates for multiple vehicle lines that share the same powertrains and approximate weight.
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