Once more, an automaker has been nailed overstating its MPG ratings.
The alleged culprit this time is Ford, which fell victim to Consumer Report’s magazine’s findings that the Fusion and C-Max hybrid vehicles were off the mark with claims that these vehicles average 47 MPG, respectively.
According to tests, the ratings for both vehicles should be 39 and 37 MPG, well below Ford’s claim of 47 MPG.
The predictable cause of the disparity between Ford’s claims and the reports of Consumer Reports is no mystery.
Hybrid engines require more gasoline than pure electric ones, thus curbing MPG results.
As Ford confessed, a driver’s acceleration habits make a difference, which EPA’s MPG test rules do not reflect. Plus so does the climate between hot and cold. EPA is likely to change its rules, which would delight the MPG-minded industry.
