U.S. EPA Revises Vehicle Fuel Economy Estimates and Initiates Updates to Labeling Procedures

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued updated fuel economy estimates for the Model Year (MY) 2013 Ford C-Max hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) in response to significant differences between actual vehicle fuel economy and the estimates Ford reported. Since 1977, EPA fuel economy label regulations have allowed vehicles with the same transmission, engine, and weight class to use the same fuel economy data. Historically these labeling procedures have worked well for conventional vehicles, but small design changes in advanced and highly-efficient vehicles, including HEVs, may significantly affect fuel economy. In the future, EPA expects high-efficiency vehicles to become more common across manufacturers. As such, EPA announced that it will work with consumer advocates, environmental organizations, and manufacturers to propose revised fuel economy labeling regulations for these vehicles. For more information, refer to the Revised Fuel Economy Label Estimates for 2013 Ford C-Max fact sheet and the EPA Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Testing website.