Ford's in trouble again for exaggerating fuel economy ratings, this time on six vehicles. According to a company audit subsequently verified by the Environmental Protection Agency, Ford is lowering mileage estimates on all of its hybrids and plug-in hybrids from 2013–2014—meaning the Fiesta, Fusion hybrid and Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid, and C-Max hybrid and C-Max Energi, as well as the Lincoln MKZ hybrid are included—plus most 2014 Fiesta models.
When engineers track-tested the Fusion hybrid to validate the EPA numbers, Ford said they found discrepancies with the car's "total road load horsepower," or the amount of engine power required to keep the car at a steady speed on a specified surface, when measured on a dynamometer. (Keep in mind that most automaker and EPA fuel-economy testing takes place in controlled environments, not on actual roads.) That error was partially the result of errors with Ford's wind tunnel results, which are fed into the load figure. Ford doesn't elaborate on how the other cars' fuel-economy figures were discovered to be erroneous, but given the company blames a process change for its wind-tunnel testing, we're betting the initial errors stemmed from a similar set of issues.
As for the revised EPA figures, the Lincoln MKZ hybrid takes the worst hit, with its 45-mpg city and highway ratings sliding 7 mpg and 8 mpg, respectively, to 38/37. The Fusion hybrid's 47/47 rating plummets to 44/41, and the C-Max rating—which Ford already cut down from 47/47 in August last year—has been cut again, this time from 45/40 to 42/37. Both C-Max Energi and Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid models are now certified for only 19 electric-only miles instead of 21. Even the vaunted 1.0-liter EcoBoost Fiesta, which we recently tested, has had its 32/45 EPA rating ("tops among non-hybrids," we said) has been downgraded to 31/43. Embarrassingly for Ford, the Fiesta's downgrade now makes the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage tops among non-hybrids.
- Feature: Why Is the EPA So Bad at Estimating Hybrid Fuel Economy?
- 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid Tested: A Hybrid With Real Refinement and Style
- Ford Fusion Research: Full Pricing, Specs, Reviews, and More
After the company "reviewed its entire lineup," it found no other problems and "has instituted enhanced validation tests for future vehicles." About 200,000 customers are affected and will be paid by Ford's "goodwill." Depending on the car and the difference between the new combined EPA rating and the old, payments range from $125 on a leased Fiesta EcoBoost to $1050 for a purchased MKZ hybrid. In all likelihood, customers accepting the payment will waive their right to sue Ford for further damages. Interestingly, those who drive a 2014 Fiesta with the 1.6-liter engine and manual transmission get squat; despite a dent to their cars' city and highway mileage, the 31-mpg combined rating didn't change.
This latest mileage-related blunder piles on top of lawsuits and EPA scrutiny Ford has faced with the C-Max and Fusion hybrid since at least December 2012, when Consumer Reports published a story blasting their combined EPA estimates for "being off by a whopping 10 and 8 mpg." In August, Ford downgraded the 2013 C-Max and admitted it hadn't tested the C-Max and Fusion Hybrid separately. Instead, it used an EPA loophole from 1977 that let automakers use the same rating on cars with the "same engine, transmission and weight class." In that same month, Ford offered a powertrain update for the 2013 C-Max, Fusion Hybrid and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid to allow higher electric-only speeds and other refinements. Contrary to popular belief, the EPA doesn't test every single car it "rates" and instead relies on manufacturer data, only checking 15 percent of new cars itself in a given year.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
Put the internet to work for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment