Ford announced this week that they are talking with federal officials about the fuel economy of its hybrid vehicles after a report by the EPA stated they could fall short of the targeted goal for many of their models.
Ford's new C-Max hybrid was one of the vehicles that didn't meet the advertised fuel economy of 47 mpg according to Consumer Reports magazine. The vehicle averaged 38 mpg in a test run by the magazine, and other Ford cars have also failed recently like the new Fusion when put through similar tests.
Ford claims they followed the Environmental Protection Agency's guidelines when it reported its fuel economy standards in a report by CBS, but that doesn't appear to be so. EPA's tests don't always reflect real-world driving, according to Raj Nair, Ford's global vehicle development chief. This can cause an issue when it comes to predicting an estimated mpg.
Ford introduced two new commercial vehicles on Friday, but the main topic the press wanted to discuss was the fuel economy issue. Ford chose not to release the prices and final fuel economy numbers for the new vans, likely so that they can conduct more testing on the models before releasing them.
One of the two vehicles discussed was the new Transit commercial van, which is set to take over for the E-Series van after almost 60 years of service. Ford will reportedly offer three different engines for the vehicle, and a smaller Connect model as well.
Click here to read more about the new vans.
"The all-new Transit is a game changer," said Ford President Joe Hinrichs in a Ford press release. "Transit raises the game for our customers in North America and around the world with even greater work capability and significantly lower operating costs, helping improve their productivity and bottom lines. These, literally, are the vehicles people trust and rely on for their livelihoods."
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