Automakers blame imprecise tests for inaccurate mileage claims

U.S. automakers are road-testing new ways to promote their fuel efficiency, in part out of frustration with the imprecision of federal mileage estimates.
Jim Farley, Ford Motor Co. global marketing chief, said the automaker will pay up to US$50,000 in prize money for the best mobile or Internet applications that help drivers track their vehicle’s fuel-economy and encourage them to share fuel-savings tips.
The automaker’s move comes on the heels of a rash of complaints that some of its vehicles don’t deliver the mileage promised by the tests dictated by the U.S. federal government. A U.S. Department of Energy-run website lets drivers submit real-world mileage, but contributions are voluntary.
Ford could benefit by gathering data about customer driving habits. It plans to begin accepting submissions next month and select winners in late August. Guidelines and judging criteria aren’t yet available.
Ford isn’t alone in its frustration over the variation between real-world fuel efficiency, rival manufacturers’ testing, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that companies are compelled to cite in their advertising.
General Motors is considering television advertisements that spotlight its fuel efficiency technologies, such as the opening and closing of under body shutters to control air drag on the vehicle.
“Showing how the technology works really resonates with people,” Alan Batey, GM interim head of marketing, said on the sidelines of the New York International Auto Show. “When you look at some segments, especially pick-up trucks, there are claims of leadership in five or six different areas. Consumers can’t react to that in a meaningful way.”
Batey said experience with the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid and web forums demonstrates how drivers respond when the technology is discussed and then featured as an application within the car itself.
Toyota Motor Corp. U.S. marketing Chief Bob Carter said the industry needs to start policing itself. “The industry has got to do a better job,” Carter said. “If one manufacturer makes a claim and the media comes out and says those claims aren’t factual, that doesn’t just reflect on the one manufacturer. That dilutes the message from all manufacturers.”
The accuracy of U.S. EPA mileage estimates, which are largely produced from tests done by automakers themselves, has been a concern among automakers for years. The agency overhauled its testing procedures several years ago in an effort to narrow the gap between the lab results and the mileage consumers were achieving in real-world driving.
The issue got fresh life last year after South Korean automakers Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. overstated the fuel economy on nearly a million late-model vehicles. Some Hyundai rivals had questioned the accuracy of the company’s fuel economy claims.
Hyundai and Kia issued customers special debit cards to reimburse them for the extra money they pay for fuel. The automakers blamed “procedural errors” at testing operations in Korea.
Separately, Consumer Reports magazine said C-Max and Fusion hybrids fell short of their fuel economy claims using its own driving tests on the vehicles. The Fusion hybrid reached 39 miles a gallon in both highway and city driving, while the C-Max topped out at a combined 37 mpg. Both were expected to achieve about 47 mpg, according to estimates from Ford and the EPA.
Farley said Ford’s internal data shows consumers were satisfied with the mpg claims of its brands.
Jonathan Browning, head of Volkswagen AG’s U.S. arm said his company has created a home on its website for VW owners to tell stories about their cars, including testimonials that VW diesel models sometimes deliver better mileage than the EPA estimates.
Browning was skeptical, however, about the value of company efforts to devise alternatives to the official fuel economy scores.
(March 27, 2013)