The Environmental Protection Agency said it would update its labeling rules — which date to the 1970s — to resolve disparities among the growing number of hybrid and electric vehicles on the market. “E.P.A. welcomes this emerging trend and will be working with consumer advocates, environmental organizations and auto manufacturers to propose revised fuel-economy testing regulations to ensure that consumers are consistently given the accurate fuel economy information on which they have come to rely,” the agency said in a statement. The move comes as more consumers and analysts are challenging the accuracy of government fuel-economy stickers on new models. At the same time, automakers are pushing to improve fuel economy as strict new government mileage standards are phased in. In Ford’s case, the automaker said it would reduce the stated fuel economy of its C-Max hybrid utility vehicle to 43 miles per gallon from 47 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving. A Ford executive said Thursday that the company was voluntarily reducing the rating, and would offer cash payments to C-Max owners as reimbursement for additional fuel consumption. Raj Nair, Ford’s head of global product development, said that reducing the rating would allay the concerns of consumers who are not achieving the previously stated fuel-economy number. “We are taking actions with our popular C-Max hybrid so that customers are even more satisfied with their vehicle’s on-road fuel efficiency performance,” he said. Ford said it would make a good will payment of $550 to any customer who bought the current C-Max model and $325 to consumers who leased one. Industry analysts said Ford had to address the growing concerns over the reliability of its fuel-economy claims. “Ford wouldn’t take such a drastic step if it didn’t feel that it was absolutely necessary, even if it’s just to protect its image,” said John O’Dell, green-car analyst at the auto-research site Edmunds.com. It is not clear how much the consumer campaign will cost Ford, the nation’s second-largest automaker behind General Motors. Mr. Nair said the company had sold about 32,000 C-Max hybrids since it was introduced last year. Like most conventional hybrids, the C-Max hybrid is alternately powered by a gasoline engine and a battery. The system allows the vehicle to consume considerably less fuel than a car equipped solely with a gas engine. The current fuel economy rules specify that automakers can use the same fuel-economy numbers for similar-size vehicles equipped with the same engines and transmissions. The government requires automakers to test the fuel economy of the biggest-selling model in a specific category. In its midsize hybrid class, for example, Ford tested the Fusion sedan version because it was the top seller. When the Fusion hybrid achieved 47 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, Ford was allowed to apply that rating to the C-Max hybrid as well. But consumers and automotive publications have questioned whether the C-Max hybrid could achieve that rating. Ford also faces several lawsuits that challenge the vehicle’s fuel-efficiency claims. Mr. Nair said that many variables can affect the real-world fuel economy of a hybrid vehicle, including weather conditions and driving behavior. “With hybrids, there is a lot more variability,” he said. He added that it was difficult to make an exact comparison between the C-Max, a utility vehicle with a chunky design, and the sleeker-looking Fusion passenger car. Ford expects to improve the C-Max hybrid’s fuel efficiency when a revamped version of the vehicle is introduced at the end of this year. In the meantime, the company hopes the cash payments to consumers and its revised mileage sticker will defuse the controversy surrounding the C-Max. “Our actions enhance Ford’s commitment to fuel-economy leadership, Mr. Nair said. The competition among auto companies on fuel-economy claims is intense, particularly as more hybrid models and electrified vehicles are introduced. Last year, the South Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia had to back down on inflated fuel-economy claims after the government found the companies had submitted flawed test results. Automakers are also rapidly changing their vehicle fleets to meet more stringent government fuel-economy requirements in the future. Besides bringing out more hybrids and electric models, the companies are shrinking the size of regular gas engines and trimming weight wherever they can. But the emphasis on fuel economy also comes at a time when consumers are becoming more sophisticated and aware of vehicle performance — including gas-mileage targets. On newer electric and hybrid models, for example, drivers can see on the dashboard display exactly how many miles per gallon the vehicle is achieving. The E.P.A. did not specify a time frame for proposing changes to fuel-economy labeling requirements. But the agency said revisions were necessary because of the rapid pace of innovation in the industry, particularly for hybrid models. “These vehicles are more sensitive to small design differences than conventional vehicles because advanced, highly efficient vehicles use to so little fuel,” the agency said.
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