The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, aka EPA, has told Ford Motor to fix the fuel economy (mpg) estimates for six vehicle models within 15 days. Affected are 200,000 2013- and 2014-model year hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, as well as most 2014-model year Fiestas. Ford will re-label four versions of the Ford Fiesta, the Hybrid and Energi (sic), versions of the Ford Fusion, the C-Max Hybrid and Energi and the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. Ford Fusion Hybrid Sedan Said to Top EPA Fuel Economy Ratings
Some labels will change between 1-5 miles per gallon (mpg). The largest change is for the Lincoln MKZ hybrid whose combined fuel economy rating has been reduced by a whopping 7 mpg. Ford vehicles on dealer lots will be re-labeled with lower mpg window stickers. In recent years, hybrid mileage claims in particular have looked wildly optimistic as stated by many automakers.
Ford in a statement claimed it identified an error with fuel economy ratings through its internal testing and notified EPA.
EPA said it oversaw Ford’s re-testing program and conducted independent tests to confirm the corrected results as soon as it was notified by Ford of the potential errors. Ford has agreed to implement new validation tests for future vehicles under EPA oversight.
“This issue highlights the need for continued strong oversight of the fuel economy labeling program,” claimed Chris Grundler, director of EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality. “Consumers need to trust that fuel economy window stickers are giving consumers reliable and fair estimates of real world fuel economy.”
Given the ongoing fuel economy rating scandals, with Hyundai and Kia being an egregious example, as well as numerous road tests from independent sources on other make vehicles, including AutoInformed, we no longer have confidence in EPA fuel economy stickers. Buyers beware; mpg is in a lot of cases ‘meaningless per gallon.Ford’s claimed error was from so-called “Total Road Load Horsepower,” or TRLHP. This is a vehicle-specific resistance level used during dynamometer testing that determines fuel economy ratings. TRLHP is established through engineering models buy accutane us that are validated through vehicle testing, including physical track tests referred to as coast-down testing. A false TRLHP value can improve fuel economy.
This was also at the heart of the Hyundai Kia scandal when a lower number was used either accidentally as claimed by the Korean automakers or deliberately on 900,000 vehicles. As a result, “Your Mileage May Vary,” as the EPA sticker says. Hyundai and Kia Caught in EPA Mileage Rating Fraud
EPA’s National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich., conducts fuel economy testing on only a few vehicles each year to ensure that their performance matches the mileage and emissions data submitted to EPA by automakers. These “spot-checks” are part of the oversight program that clearly needs to be improved.
Ford estimates that approximately 200,000 of these vehicles have been sold or leased to customers in the United States. Affected Ford and Lincoln owners and lessees in the United States will receive a “goodwill payment” for the estimated average fuel cost of the difference between the two fuel economy labels, in Ford’s attempt to head off a class action lawsuit. Payments can be more than $1,000. A similar tactic was used by Hyundai and Kia when they were caught with false mpg ratings. Payments can be more than $1,000.
All vehicle brands now have a fuel economy claim of some sort to use in marketing, and virtually all of the advertise fuel efficiency, except for the ‘let them eat cake luxury cars,’ making the issue so confusing that it might now be ineffective for selling cars and light trucks. Potential buyers will assume that fuel economy is a given in the entire class of vehicles and forgo the nuances. A similar situation has occurred in the marketing of auto safety during the past decade, with it increasingly difficult for companies to draw a competitive advantage in a continually improving field of what is now demonstrably the safest fleet of new vehicles ever sold in the U.S.
More information on fuel economy: http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/updates.htm
