K75sBrad comments

Posted in: GPS is the traveler's enemy See in context

A-men.

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Posted in: California woman wins suit over Honda hybrid mileage per gallon See in context

Oops - apparently I have been out of the game too long...

The EPA has changed their method of determining economy:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/ratings2008.shtml

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Posted in: California woman wins suit over Honda hybrid mileage per gallon See in context

Here's the thing... The judge should not be ruling on matters that clearly he is genuinely ignorant of.

All automotive manufacturers are required to have their vehicles tested on something called an FTP - Federal Test Procedure - in the US. This is a thorough investigation of the vehicle's emissions using a controlled environment and a test gasoline (identical fuel for all manufacturers). During the drive cycles of this test three different the mass emissions are collected and measured and from this test the vehicle mileage for published fuel economy are provided.

This drive cycle is based on a historical drive pattern called the LA-4 which was developed in 1974 by following "average" drivers around as they went to and from work, and melding this into a driving cycle that would simulate "average real-world driving".

Now, in the real world, multiple things such as driving habits affect fuel economy; but so do things like the type of fuel (oxygenated fuel tends to burn cleaner, but tends to require more fuel for the same power as non-oxygenated or reformulated gasoline), the temperatures (in cold climates, the fuel comes out of the relatively warm ground and the volume in the tank shrinks as it cools, plus the colder, denser air has more O2, requiring more fuel for a proper mixture to be formed) and the use of accessories like AC. In fact, one of a hybrid's biggest fuel saving strategies is auto stop, which kills the gasoline engine during idling. This feature is disabled if you have the AC on max, so that the AC can continue to cool the cabin.

The idea of using standard tests with standard fuels by a 3rd party (EPA) was to prevent manufactures from publishing their mileage stats. from "ideal" tests. Everyone gets checked the same - this is a scientific method, not a "generalized guideline" as the judge seems to think.

@ Yubaru, Intelligence does not prevent ignorance, but rather makes it unacceptable. If buddy is as bright as he appears to be, he should go look up the laws instead of chastising the manufacturer for following them.

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