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Jan 11 - Associated Press/AP Online
Answering complaints from consumers that cars get fewer miles per gallon than advertised, the government is proposing changes in the way gas mileage is tested. The Environmental Protection Agency intends to fix that. Under testing changes proposed Tuesday, fuel economy stickers will show most 2008 models getting 10 percent to 20 percent less mileage in city driving and 5 percent to 15 percent less in highway use. Gasoline-electric hybrids will be affected even more, with ratings for city driving decreasing an average of 20 percent to 30 percent. Congress last year ordered changes in how the EPA estimates mpg for each vehicle. Currently, the EPA relies on data from two lab tests for the city and highway estimates. They're done in mild conditions, when the temperature is 75 degrees, using top highway speeds of 60 mph and average speeds of 48 mph. Those conditions, the EPA acknowledges, are "generally lower than those experienced by drivers in the real world." The EPA proposed a new testing regime to develop more accurate mileage estimates from vehicle-specific data. Automakers starting in 2011 would have to perform extra driving tests to reflect high-speed driving, rapid acceleration, use of air conditioning and cold temperatures not now part of the agency's laboratory tests. The new, lower ratings, however, will not be used to gauge compliance with government regulations requiring automakers to produce fleets averaging at least 27.5 mpg for cars and 21 mpg for light trucks. EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said the Corporate Average Fuel Economy program run by the Transportation Department uses separate requirements for determining fuel economy. Johnson said the lower figures his agency will develop are intended "to empower consumers with the most accurate information possible about a vehicle's fuel economy," including more details about the effects of "power-hungry accessories" used to lower windows, adjust seats or even play DVDs while driving. "They can be confident those estimates more closely reflect real-world conditions," he said. Fred Webber, president of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said the industry supports the EPA's proposal and will help the agency adjust the new vehicle window stickers. AAA - formerly the American Automobile Association - joined the EPA in making the announcement. "Consumers want to know that the information they see on a government-sanctioned label reasonably reflects what they will experience on the road," said AAA president Robert Darbelnet. The EPA hasn't revised its fuel economy ratings in 20 years. The agency also plans to redesign the stickers so they are more consumer-friendly. "It's obvious that the driving world has changed a lot since 1985," said Johnson, who noted that 20 years ago he drove a full-size Pontiac Catalina coupe. "My car really would not match up to today's vehicles." Bluewater Network, which petitioned the EPA to change its testing procedures in 2002, mostly welcomed the changes. "This has been a long time coming," said Danielle Fugere, the group's global warming campaign director. But Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club's global warming program, said that because the rules for complying with the CAFE standards aren't changing, "the bottom line here is that this will have zero effect on oil savings or environmental impact." --- On the Net: Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov AAA: http://www.aaa.com |