EPA calculation?

[mamboman777]

Had a thought, were the EPA numbers calculated in "normal"?

I bet so, and because that, if you put it in "eco" all the time, that would explain why you can get consistently above the EPA estimates.

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[pxpaulx]

You can find the detailed EPA test parameters here:

EPA Detailed Testing

Given that the EPA testing is defined by standardized 'trips' - where the vehicle is fake-driven through the pace of stops/starts/speed settings, that the relevance of what 'mode' a vehicle is placed in is not relevant.

The vehicle makers are probably allowed to set the throttle and gear shift parameters to maximize efficiency as part of the test (or more likely are required to set these parameters at specific points). Specifically how hard acceleration should be, when shift points should occur, etc. That would all be controlled in the test, otherwise it wouldn't be standardized.

They aren't physically taking the vehicle on road tests - they are measuring the vehicle's diagnostic details and arriving at the final values for the estimates. So it will be highly controlled, not subject to a vehicle's 'driving modes'.

 

[A Dodge that drives Fords]

Yes I plan on running eco mode most the time sport mode here and there

 

[brnpttmn]

Had a thought, were the EPA numbers calculated in "normal"?

I bet so, and because that, if you put it in "eco" all the time, that would explain why you can get consistently above the EPA estimates.

I assume EPA testing needs to be on whatever mode is "standard" or "normal."

It's good to remember that the EPA numbers are controlled tests that are best used to compare efficiency between models. Deviation (positive and negative) from the numbers in that controlled experiment should be expected. In general, if you're an average driver in average circumstances, you might expect to get near the EPA rating, but most people will get (often significantly) more or less depending on their driving and circumstances. My mpgs in my old car would deviate more than 10mpgs winter to summer.

I only note this because see so many posts about "how can I only be getting X mpgs" or look at how many mpgs I got on this one 5 mile trip. Basically, all of these come down to deviation from the controlled testing parameters. Eco mode may be part of exceeding EPA number, but there are so many other variables that go into efficiency that it's probably a small factor. My example, I'm at just over 30mpgs in the first couple months, and use ECO mode on every trip.

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