New Mileage Tests Proposal

From the NY Times:

WASHINGTON, May 16 - The Senate is likely to vote Tuesday to make the Environmental Protection Agency find a better way of measuring automobile fuel economy, to bring more realism to the stickers on the windows of new cars, which consumers have learned always to read but not to trust.

There was a perception that the tests inflated hybrids' efficiency: If a hybrid that is supposed to get 60 miles a gallon gets about 50, the consumer will surely notice. But if an S.U.V. sticker promises 17 miles and its mileage drops by a similar percentage, the difference is barely noticeable.

I think a new test would be great for the auto industry. Who doesn't like accuracy? As long as all vehicles are measured in the same conditions, the hybrids will always come out on top, and this nonsense might finally end.

This article is correct about the percentage of mileage accuracy difference.Although the real reason to buy these cars is the amount of emissions output from the exhaust.

I am a certified Toyota Hybrid technician and know the way the systems work and why.The big picture is emissions.

The consumer deserves accurate milage information no matter what. All EPA MPG info should be obtained in real world conditions. This should include tests performed on real freeways, highways, and city streets, during times of high and low traffic conditions. Then post the average MPG figures from the test.

I would rather see MPG figures that are on the low side rather than the current unrealistic high figures.

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