|
Ford product development chief Raj Nair said the company is adding new seals around the C-Max's hood and new deflectors around its tires and lift gate to cut wind resistance and raise gas mileage. Ford has no plans to change mileage labels on any other hybrids, he said. The EPA may revise regulations for tests of similar vehicles because automakers increasingly are introducing more efficient power systems in the same cars across the globe, he said. The current regulations were developed in 1977, and the EPA is asking for input before making changes. The EPA's tests still measure gas mileage accurately, but the agency is studying them to make sure they keep up with fast-changing technology, Grundler said, adding that tests during the past six months show the window labels are accurate. "Most people are getting the label values," he said. Ford's Nair said a test that measures the amount of gasoline used per mile, instead of one that shows the number of miles a car can travel on a gallon, might be more accurate. The EPA has been receptive to the idea, he said. The C-Max, which starts at $25,200, went on sale in October 2012. Through July of this year, the company had sold a total of 36,349. In the Hyundai-Kia case, the automakers acknowledged the problem, changed the numbers and blamed a procedural error. As compensation, the companies have paid owners around $88 annually. The EPA is still investigating the case and may penalize the companies further. The EPA has said the Hyundai-Kia case was the first in which erroneous test results were found in so many models. Until the C-Max, only two similar problems had been discovered since 2000, and those involved single models.
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.