What Does The EPA Have To Do With Gas Mileage Ratings?

What Does The EPA Have To Do With Gas Mileage Ratings?

The US Environmental Protection Agency or EPA is closely involved with product testing and emission control for all vehicles. The various gas saving devices are all tested by EPA for fuel economy and emission values before those are released in the market. So it plays an important role in creating consumer awareness towards latest products introduced in the market. EPA runs a program where it tests and evaluates all retrofit devices for emission and fuel economy standards.

"The purpose of the program is to generate, analyze and disseminate technical data in a public document. Participation in the program is voluntary unless ordered by the EPA Administrator or the Federal Trade Commission. All voluntary testing is paid for by the applicant. The program is restricted to four wheeled highway vehicles weighing six thousand pounds or less," states EPA.

Following are the conditions set by EPA in quotes for the tests:

"Fuel additives are included in this program; however, oil additives and lubricants are not.

A complete report is issued for any product evaluated by the EPA. There is no approval, certification, endorsement, nor registration of any product tested in this program.

Furthermore, EPA does not certify, approve, register or endorse any independent laboratory or the results of any independent laboratory testing. Any claims of EPA certification in this program are false."

Following were set as the overview of the testing by EPA:

"The EPA device evaluation program employs the same scientific laboratory test methods used to certify vehicles in the United Stated. The specific tests are the Federal Test Procedure (FTP) and the Highway Fuel Economy Test (HFET). Each of these involved placing the test vehicle on a dynamometer (a laboratory test apparatus which simulates road conditions) and driving through a specified trace simulating city and highway driving in consecutive sequences.

Exhaust gases are captured, analyzed and used to determine rate of each criteria pollutant in grams per mile (gms/mi) and to calculate fuel economy in miles per gallon (mpg).

The controlled laboratory conditions and use of a standard test fuel in this evaluation program minimizes variables one would have to address when using actual outdoor driving on roadways.

Laboratory testing assures the test results' comparisons, with and without the device, are not influenced by outside, uncontrollable factors.

EPA conducts tests on at least two different vehicles which are representative of the fleet. Each vehicle is thoroughly inspected and maintained as it was originally certified by EPA prior to testing. A minimum of three tests using each test vehicle without the device are conducted to establish a base line. The device is then installed on the vehicle as instructed by the manufacturer and the same three test series are conducted once again.

When completed, the device is removed and the initial series of tests are conducted once again to determine whether the vehicle has been affected by using the device."

The data obtained from testing are analyzed for statistically significant differences, either positive or negative. Emission results for each of the criteria pollutants, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen are compared for these differences. If use of a device results in a statistically significant increase of any of the criteria pollutants, EPA would consider installation of the device as tampering with the emissions control system even though fuel economy may be improved.

Applicants for this voluntary program are invited to be present during installation and testing of the device at EPA 's test laboratory located in Ann Arbor, Michigan."