The EPA is implementing new fuel economy rating tests that are expected to give a more accurate
picture of vehicle performance, correcting decades of overly optimistic miles per gallon estimates.
The new testing procedures include real world driving conditions such as use of air conditioners, aggressive driving, and cold starts. The testing procedure will be used on model year 2008 vehicles, and is the first time the EPA has updated the test since George Orwell's favorite year.
While the previous estimates left some hybrid vehicle owners angry, the real world numbers may give some potential buyers pause when they think about all of the money they will be blowing out their tailpipes. For example, if you get 20 mpg instead of 21 mpg, you'll spend about $100 extra on gas based on driving 15,000 miles and a price of $2.75 per gallon.
As we all know, your mileage WILL vary greatly depending upon where and how you drive. Jack rabbit starts and driving over 60 will put a significant drag on your fuel economy. Vehicle manufacturers should be required to put an MPG meter on all of their dashboards as a way to encourage people to monitor their fuel efficiency since many people don't have the time to do the math themselves (and many would do it wrong).
If the President cares as much about oil independence as he says, he could push the highway speed limit back to 55 or 60 and instantly save us millions of gallons of gasoline.
