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Sam Cao of UC Riverside challenges the Environmental Protection Agency and European Car Manufacturers Association's fuel economy ratings with an innovative system based on real-world driving conditions.
Let's be frank for a moment: a vehicle's EPA or NEDC estimate is by far the biggest illusion you're dealt with when purchasing a brand spanking new vehicle.
Wondering about the accuracy of those infamous miles per gallon stickers posted on the windows of showroom fresh cars, Bourns College of Engineering student Sam Cao discovered very worrying data.
Sam and a UK-based vehicle emissions testing company developed a new type of portable emissions measurement equipment for passenger vehicles, in order to test on the move average fuel economy in authentic city and highway driving conditions.
As opposed to the standardized lab procedures performed by EPA and ECMA engineers, Sam uncovered mixed results with his new system, with some cars faring better than official estimates, while some fared worse.
For example, the 2013 model year Honda Accord LX sedan has been rated by the EPA with 27 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. Confront those figures with Sam's 19.8 mpg city and 33.6 mpg highway and you get the full picture of the difference between the two systems.
However, the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta 1.8-liter managed to score 27.9 mpg city and 39.2 mpg highway in real-life driving conditions, slightly better numbers than official EPA ratings of 25 mpg city and 36 mpg highway.
As for more performance-oriented cars, the '14 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 convertible managed about the same figures when subjected to both rating systems, with 12 mpg city and 18 and a bit mpg on the highway.
The newly developed 'IntelliChoice Real MPG' rating system proved that more than 300 vehicles analyzed in the United Kingdom have their NEDC mpg ratings boasted by ACEA by circa 20 percentage points.
According to the CEO of UK-based Emissions Analytics, the European and the American rating systems are worlds apart in terms of accuracy, with the European duty cycle far less demanding and correct than its US counterpart.
You can find out more on the subject by following this link.
Wondering about the accuracy of those infamous miles per gallon stickers posted on the windows of showroom fresh cars, Bourns College of Engineering student Sam Cao discovered very worrying data.
Sam and a UK-based vehicle emissions testing company developed a new type of portable emissions measurement equipment for passenger vehicles, in order to test on the move average fuel economy in authentic city and highway driving conditions.
As opposed to the standardized lab procedures performed by EPA and ECMA engineers, Sam uncovered mixed results with his new system, with some cars faring better than official estimates, while some fared worse.
For example, the 2013 model year Honda Accord LX sedan has been rated by the EPA with 27 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. Confront those figures with Sam's 19.8 mpg city and 33.6 mpg highway and you get the full picture of the difference between the two systems.
However, the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta 1.8-liter managed to score 27.9 mpg city and 39.2 mpg highway in real-life driving conditions, slightly better numbers than official EPA ratings of 25 mpg city and 36 mpg highway.
As for more performance-oriented cars, the '14 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 convertible managed about the same figures when subjected to both rating systems, with 12 mpg city and 18 and a bit mpg on the highway.
The newly developed 'IntelliChoice Real MPG' rating system proved that more than 300 vehicles analyzed in the United Kingdom have their NEDC mpg ratings boasted by ACEA by circa 20 percentage points.
According to the CEO of UK-based Emissions Analytics, the European and the American rating systems are worlds apart in terms of accuracy, with the European duty cycle far less demanding and correct than its US counterpart.
You can find out more on the subject by following this link.
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