One of the attributes of a vehicle that car buyers look for is a car's miles per gallon, or mpg, rating. Miles per gallon is the unit being used by agencies to rate the amount of fuel needed to power a car over a given distance. This is a helpful concept for motorists since by just looking at a car's miles per gallon ratings, they will have an idea how much they would shell out for fuel.
Through the years, with the various developments being made in the automotive industry, the fuel efficiency of vehicles has significantly improved. However, fuel economy is yet another story. While an engine may be efficient, its fuel economy depends on how large or how small the combustion chamber of the engine or how much fuel it needs to power the vehicle.
The EPA or the Environmental Protection Agency is the government agency which has been given the power with regards to the protection of human health and to look after the natural environment which includes air, water, and land. In connection with these objectives, they are also in charge of the conduction of fuel economy tests on cars being sold in the United States. The tests are done to find out the gas mileage of a given vehicle and to let the public know about it. The government agency publishes the result of their tests in miles per gallon units. The EPA is the sole provider of such information to be shown by car makers to their consumers. You see, other sources can be cited but the car maker has the duty to tell their consumers what the gas mileage rating a car has from the tests done by the EPA.
One problem though about the current rating being used by the EPA is that some consumers view their results as quite optimistic. This results sometimes to much confusion on the part of the car owners. To address the issue, the Environmental Protection Agency will be employing new tests on vehicles starting with the 2008 model year vehicles. The new tests will take into consideration other factors which were not considered in the current fuel economy tests.
Lower miles per gallon ratings can be expected since the government agency will take into account air conditioning use, cold temperature operation, higher speeds, and also faster acceleration. The result of the consideration of these factors is a more realistic fuel economy rating for the consumers and the market.
What critics may find confusing about the new fuel economy rating is the comparison of vehicles rated using the current rating system and those who will be tested using the new system. In connection with the said problem, an MPG Calculator is being provided by the government agency. With the said tool, consumers can compare old and new fuel economy ratings of vehicles.
Consumers can also visit the site www.fueleconomy.gov to compare new and old vehicles when the new tests are implemented. With the tool, consumers can simply select a vehicle released before 2008 and the calculator will show what would be the fuel economy rating of the vehicle under the new system. The site also provides MPG ratings from real world driving submitted by other drivers.
The use of the new tests will be good for those who still think that the current fuel economy ratings are optimistic and almost bordering on exaggeration. In order to increase a car's fuel economy, car owners can also install aftermarket performance parts like a system which helps in the making the engine more fuel efficient. Aside from aftermarket parts, drivers also need to drive responsibly because erratic driving is also a cause of poor fuel economy of vehicles.