miles
allon
an EPA guide SB
for new car buyers
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has developed a special program
to help you, the new car buyer, select a
1974 automobile with good fuel economy.
WHAT IS FUEL ECONOMY?
Fuel economy is a term relating to the usage
and cost of fuel. For your car, it is most often
thought of as the miles-per-gallon performance
of your automobile. It is important that you
know the "gas mileage" of a car you are plan-
ning to buy, because of the fuel shortage and
the rising cost of gasoline.
THE LABELING PROGRAM
To help you, EPA has prepared two labels.
These labels show the fuel economy perform-
ance of various kinds of automobiles as deter-
mined from EPA tests. The auto manufacturers
have been asked to participate in the EPA
Labeling Program by displaying one of the
two labels—specific or comparative—on their
1974 model year vehicles. Most U.S.-made
and foreign-made cars and light trucks will bear
one of these labels.
The Specific Label: This label gives the miles-
per-gallon performance for the specific vehicle
on which it is displayed. The label also gives
comparative information about weight classes,
range of miles per gallon, average miles per
gallon, and fuel costs. As the prospective buyer,
you can see how the fuel economy of a par-
ticular automobile compares with cars in other
weight classes.
The Comparative Label: This label includes
the same fuel-economy table as the specific
label. The measured miles-per-gallon perform-
ance of the individual car, however, is not in-
dicated on the comparative label. Instead, the
weight class to which the car belongs is circled.
This label will allow you to make general com-
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parisons between weight classes and the corre-
sponding fuel economy.
The EPA Fuel Economy Test: The EPA Test
Procedure that was used to provide the infor-
mation on the labels involves a 23-minute, 7.5-
mile test under simulated commuter-type driv-
ing conditions. Top speed in the EPA test is
57 miles per hour, and the average speed is
about 20 miles per hour. A machine called a
dynamometer is used by professional drivers
to insure that the results are accurate and sci-
entifically comparable. If the cars were driven
at constant speeds of 40 to 60 miles per hour
on the highway, their miles-per-gallon rating
would improve, but the comparison between
the weight categories would remain approxi-
mately the same.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE
FUEL ECONOMY
Many factors influence the fuel economy of
your car. Weight is the most important built-
in factor, and increases in weight cause the
greatest fuel penalty. The label shows that a
5500-pound car averages only 8 miles per gal-
lon for urban-suburban driving, while a 2000-
pound car averages 24 miles per gallon. Op-
tional equipment is another factor. In addition
to increasing car weight, this equipment re-
quires more energy and therefore more fuel
for its operation. For example, an air condi-
tioner in some cars can cause as much as a
10-20 percent fuel penalty when used under
high temperature and high humidity conditions.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO GET
BETTER FUEL ECONOMY
• Make good fuel economy a requirement
for your new car. If the gas mileage of the
car that interests you is not shown on the
label, ask your dealer or write to the En-
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vironmental Protection Agency for this
information.
• Before ordering optional equipment for
your new car, find out from the dealer or
manufacturer how much it will affect the
car's fuel economy.
• Keep your car in good condition with
proper maintenance. A car that is kept
tuned to the manufacturer's specifications
will give you better fuel economy and will
cause less air pollution.
• Improve your driving habits. Frequent
starts and stops, long periods of idling,
and uneven speed decrease fuel economy.
POOR GAS MILEAGE MEANS
HIGH FUEL COSTS
Determine how much money you can save
by driving a car with good gas mileage. Cal-
culate your annual fuel cost by this formula:
Multiply the yearly miles you drive by the
cost of a gallon of gas. Then, divide the
result by the miles per gallon your car
achieves.
Compare your fuel cost with those of other
weight classes on the label. Are you getting
good fuel economy?
TEST RESULTS FOR 1974
AUTOMOBILES ARE AVAILABLE
Write for the 1974 EPA test results. A free
list is available, giving the miles per gallon for
all 1974 cars and light-duty trucks that EPA
has tested. Also available is more information
on optional equipment and other factors that
affect fuel economy.
Write:
FUEL ECONOMY
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20460 *%
SSI
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ILLUSTRATIVE LABEL FOR 1974
VEHICLES—SPECIFIC INFORMATION
Based on the results of tests conducted or
certified by the U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency, the fuel consumption of this
vehicle is estimated to be
17 Miles Per Gallon
on an EPA test cycle which simulates com-
muter-type driving.
The table below shows miles-per-gallon
(MPG) performance and fuel costs for
vehicles in different weight categories. The
test weight of and the measured fuel
economy of this vehicle are circled. These
figures are not indicative of performance
during highway driving.
Fuel Costs
Vehicle Test Range of Average 10,000 mi.
Weight (Ibs) MPG MPG and 40C/gal.
2,000
2,250
2,500
2,750
3,000 3,1
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
5,500
22-29
19-25
17-22.5
10.5-24.5
00 9-20
10.5-20
6.5-19
7.5-14
7-11
7-10.5
24
21.5
18.5
17.5
IsflTJ
13.5
10.5
9.5
9
8
$165
$185
$215
$230
$265 $235
$295
$380
$420
$445
$500
The actual fuel economy of this vehicle
will depend on factors such as individual
driving habits, the maintenance condition
of the vehicle, and the optional equipment
chosen. Additional fuel economy informa-
tion is available from your dealer and from
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Washington, D.C. 20460.
EXAMPLE: This label illustrates the
type of information which would be pre-
sented on each car. This particular car
weighs 3100 pounds and registered a fuel
economy of 17 MPG. This fuel economy is
2 MPG better than the average for the car
weight class. To drive 10,000 miles the
buyer can expect to pay $235 for gasoline,
a savings of $30 over the average cost for
its weight class. As you can see, car
weight is very important in determining
fuel economy.
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OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
POSTAGE AND FEES PAID
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA-33S
THIRD CLASS BULK RATE
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