Amid all the recent concerns over fuel economy, international policy, and global warming (Kyoto), you would think one of the net effects would be for the overall size/weight of vehicles we drive to go down and the net mileage to go up, but according to a recent article, just the opposite is happening.
Well, as usual, it doesn't tell the whole story and we as consumers are facing another what some like to call the "Potomac Two-step."
Per the Environmental Protection Agency's new and updated criteria for testing fuel economy ratings, all vehicles beginning with model year 2008 will have the results of the new testing procedures displayed on their Mulroney sticker. For they remaining suckers out there, manufacturers will be allowed to post what the results would have been under the admittedly antiquated, bias, and simply inaccurate methodology. Thank goodness.
Of course, mileages of our favorite cars and trucks haven't actually changed at all, but the implied changes from the new tests will illustrate what appears to be in some cases a 20-30% decrease in average city and highway mileage. Hybrids seem to be especially prone to the decrease partly because the new highway test speed has gone from a lethargic 55 mph to more plausible 80 mph. (Think of those Comcast commercials comparing dial-up to high-speed)
People have found the EPA ratings suspicious at best for years, so it really doesn't come as much of a surprise, but it must make you feel good that they are finally coming out to say, "yes, are numbers were total rubbish." You might even be convinced that as an agency they may no longer be "on the take." Let's hope the new emphasis on the actual mileages actually have an affect on consumer perception about their vehicles and that we can happily exist with one less corporate/governmental fib.
To read an article on the new ratings and their criteria, click here.
Now if we could just wake up and really smell the fumes like our European ex-friends or friends down under.
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