The House of Representatives has introduced a “Fuel Efficiency Truth-in-Advertising Act”
(HR 1103), which if passed might result in more accurate Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) fuel mileage ratings. HR 1103 calls for the U.S. EPA to change current tests to more
accurately relate to “real life” conditions.
EPA mileage ratings are supposed to be a
consumer guide program only and are different than the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, which establish minimum
fleet averages for new vehicles. The same EPA test procedures, however, are used to
determine the CAFE numbers.
