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New U.S. fuel economy ratings include A/C |
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For the first time ever, vehicle testing by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reflects the use of air conditioning. As a result, this year's fuel economy ratings for most car models are significantly lower than before.
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2007-10-17
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Carmakers will have to re-work their advertising claims about high fuel economy after new estimates by the EPA have lowered the ratings for most car models in the U.S. This year's "Fuel Economy Guide", intended to help consumers select the most economic car, shows that city and highway estimates have decreased by as much as 30% for some vehicles. The use of air conditioning alone has lead to a 5-25% decrease in fuel economy, according to the EPA.
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Although the Toyota Prius hybrid car remains the most fuel-efficient car in the United States, its ratings worsened from 60 to 48 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city - a 20% decrease. In general, the number of cars getting 30 mpg or more on the highway is now about 90, down from 200 before. Both the EPA and the Department of Energy agree that the new values could help spur a “green” purchase behaviour in all vehicle classes, with the Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman saying: "Greater fuel efficiency is something we must approach more aggressively, effectively and creatively than we have over the past 30 years."
New estimates to affect federal discussions
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The significantly lower fuel economy ratings of most car models have put additional pressure on the Congress to adopt stringent fuel economy standards at the federal level, as the change in testing methodology cut the number of models with a 30 mpg or better on the highway by more than half.
Background
In December 2006, the EPA revised its fuel economy estimates for cars and light trucks to reflect real-world driving conditions, including factors such as faster acceleration, cold temperature operation, and the use of air-conditioning. The estimates appear on windows stickers of all new vehicles. By opting for a model with a mpg of 25 rather than 20, consumers can save about 17 tons of greenhouse gases over the car's lifetime, the EPA estimates.
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More information:
 Fuel Economy Guide 2008 (678 KB)
› Fuel Economy website
› Read the article: "EPA revises test methods for fuel economy", 12 December 2006
› Read the article: "EPA educates on cars' new fuel economy", 20 February 2007
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