Friday, March 26, 2004
By Reuters

DETROIT — With U.S. gasoline prices hovering at all-time highs, the Environmental Protection Agency opened the door this week to a possible revision of its fuel economy testing procedures for new cars and light trucks.

The move, which could provide consumers and U.S. policy makers with a more accurate picture of fuel efficiency in real-world driving conditions, came in response to a petition filed nearly two years ago by the Bluewater Network environmental group.

An EPA source attributed the agency's slow response to the petition to "due diligence," adding that it had little or nothing to do with the fact that the average price of regular gasoline hit an all-time high for the third consecutive day on Thursday.

However, the recent run-up in gasoline and oil prices could put fuel economy back in the public spotlight, along with continuing instability in the Middle East.

In an advisory on its Web site, the EPA said it would publish a notice in the Federal Register soliciting comment from all interested parties on Bluewater's call for a revision of its test procedures within 120 days.

It could then take up to six months, or possibly more, to reach a decision on whether or not to revamp its testing methods, the source said.

Bluewater contends the "city" and "highway" fuel economy values that the EPA relays to the public, on the window stickers prominently displayed on vehicles in automotive showrooms, significantly overstate the miles per gallon that American drivers are actually getting on the road.

The environmental group maintains this is largely due to increased highway speeds, since the EPA's test procedures were last adjusted nearly 20 years ago, along with a higher proportion of urban driving and worsening city traffic congestion.

"In today's environment of mounting evidence of global warming, concern about the security implications of our increasing dependence on foreign oil, and relatively high gasoline prices, consumers and policy makers are increasingly taking fuel economy into account," Bluewater said in its petition, which was filed in June 2002. "It is vital that they be provided with accurate information on which to base these decisions that so critically impact our environment."

Source: Reuters