Monk
Well-Known Member
Starting this year with 2011 models, the federal government’s fuel-economy standards, which have sat frozen for years, are going to get a big-time thaw—the biggest change since the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) law was created in 1975.
While pondering these figures, keep in mind that the tests used to measure CAFE numbers are based on old city and highway tests. Today’s window stickers take those raw numbers, massage them, and incorporate other tests with the goal of providing a more realistic, lower estimate. Example: A BMW 328i rated at 18 mpg city and 28 highway on its window sticker has a “raw” CAFE fuel economy of about 28 mpg—just above today’s car standard of 27.5.
Here’s how it works. A 2010 Honda Accord has a wheelbase of 110.2 inches and a track of 62.6 inches. Multiplying those two figures yields a footprint of 47.9 square feet. If you plug that figure into the government’s formula, you get a target mpg of 35.9 for 2016. The smaller its footprint, the higher the fuel economy a given vehicle has to meet. A current Ford Focus would have to achieve 40.8 by 2016, while a Mercedes S-class will have a bogey of 31.8 mpg. The aforementioned 328i will have to hit 38.2 mpg.
Article:
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-automakers-will-meet-2016-cafe-standards
While pondering these figures, keep in mind that the tests used to measure CAFE numbers are based on old city and highway tests. Today’s window stickers take those raw numbers, massage them, and incorporate other tests with the goal of providing a more realistic, lower estimate. Example: A BMW 328i rated at 18 mpg city and 28 highway on its window sticker has a “raw” CAFE fuel economy of about 28 mpg—just above today’s car standard of 27.5.
Here’s how it works. A 2010 Honda Accord has a wheelbase of 110.2 inches and a track of 62.6 inches. Multiplying those two figures yields a footprint of 47.9 square feet. If you plug that figure into the government’s formula, you get a target mpg of 35.9 for 2016. The smaller its footprint, the higher the fuel economy a given vehicle has to meet. A current Ford Focus would have to achieve 40.8 by 2016, while a Mercedes S-class will have a bogey of 31.8 mpg. The aforementioned 328i will have to hit 38.2 mpg.
Article:
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-automakers-will-meet-2016-cafe-standards
