*UPDATE: Donna Boland, manager of corporate communications at Mercedes Benz USA, told AutoblogGreen that the sticker change only applied to around 500 C-Class vehicles on dealer lots, since a new C-Class came out in late August. "About 500 are left in the United States, and we've relabeled them," she said.
First Hyundai, then Ford and now Mercedes-Benz. The list of companies that have had to change their vehicles' official EPA fuel economy ratings has just grown by one with the announcement that the 2013 and 2014 C300 4-Matic FFV and PZEV versions need to have their EPA labels adjusted.
The problem, which is reminiscent of the issues that Ford had with the Total Road Load Horsepower, was that "Mercedes underestimated the impact of aerodynamic drag and tire rolling resistance known as 'road-load,'" the EPA said in a statement you can read below. We have asked Mercedes for more information on the issue but have not yet heard back.
We're not sure how many vehicles the EPA is retesting (or asking to be retested), but the agency says that the C300 models were evaluated again by Mercedes "with EPA oversight" and the EPA did its own tests at the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, MI. Christopher Grundler, the director of EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, said that the EPA knows that the changes are minimal, but that, "it is important that our oversight system is producing the correct results because even one MPG matters to consumers."
In case you need a primer in the recent history of companies adjusting their EPA numbers, check out this and this. Based on today's news, we won't be surprised to hear more changes are coming.
First Hyundai, then Ford and now Mercedes-Benz. The list of companies that have had to change their vehicles' official EPA fuel economy ratings has just grown by one with the announcement that the 2013 and 2014 C300 4-Matic FFV and PZEV versions need to have their EPA labels adjusted.
The changes aren't massive, at most one mile per gallon, but they are lower than before. The FFV version goes from 20 to 19 mpg in the city while the PZEV drops one mpg across the board from 23/20/29 combined/city/highway) to 22/19/28. The FFV's combined (22) and highway (27) ratings stay the same. Other Mercedes vehicles that were spot checked turned out to have accurate labels.The changes aren't massive, at most one mile per gallon.
The problem, which is reminiscent of the issues that Ford had with the Total Road Load Horsepower, was that "Mercedes underestimated the impact of aerodynamic drag and tire rolling resistance known as 'road-load,'" the EPA said in a statement you can read below. We have asked Mercedes for more information on the issue but have not yet heard back.
We're not sure how many vehicles the EPA is retesting (or asking to be retested), but the agency says that the C300 models were evaluated again by Mercedes "with EPA oversight" and the EPA did its own tests at the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, MI. Christopher Grundler, the director of EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, said that the EPA knows that the changes are minimal, but that, "it is important that our oversight system is producing the correct results because even one MPG matters to consumers."
In case you need a primer in the recent history of companies adjusting their EPA numbers, check out this and this. Based on today's news, we won't be surprised to hear more changes are coming.
EPA Requires Mercedes-Benz to Correct Fuel Economy Labels for Two C300 4-Matic Vehicles
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revising estimates for two 2013/2014 Mercedes C300 4-matic vehicles, the FFV and PZEV, to ensure consumers are given accurate fuel economy values.
During EPA fuel economy audit testing, the Mercedes C300 4-matic was found to have values that differed from those submitted to EPA at the time of certification. With EPA oversight, Mercedes conducted new emissions and fuel economy testing, and EPA conducted its own testing at its National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As a result of this subsequent testing, EPA is requiring Mercedes to relabel its 2013 and 2014 C300 4-matic models with lower fuel economy values.
The specific changes to fuel economy stickers are listed in the table below.
Mercedes Fuel Economy Value Updates
"Even though the adjustments are small, it is important that our oversight system is producing the correct results because even one MPG matters to consumers," said Christopher Grundler, director of EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality. "EPA will continue strong oversight of fuel economy values to ensure that consumers have the best information available to make important purchasing decisions, to ensure fair competition among automakers, and to protect investments in new fuel efficient technologies.
The original values reported by Mercedes underestimated the impact of aerodynamic drag and tire rolling resistance known as "road-load." While this error impacted the fuel economy estimates by a small amount, these vehicles were found to be in compliance with emissions standards. EPA also tested several other Mercedes as part of this spot check, and found their labeling was accurate.
EPA's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan, conducts fuel economy testing on a number of vehicles each year to ensure that their performance matches the mileage and emissions data automakers submit to EPA. These spot-checks are part of the oversight program that helps ensure that carmakers are following the same procedures for calculating mileage estimates. The oversight program also helps the EPA verify that vehicles on the road meet national tailpipe emission standards to protect public health and the environment.
More information on today's update: www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/updates.htm.
Updated fuel economy values are also available on the joint EPA and the Department of Energy website: www.fueleconomy.gov
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revising estimates for two 2013/2014 Mercedes C300 4-matic vehicles, the FFV and PZEV, to ensure consumers are given accurate fuel economy values.
During EPA fuel economy audit testing, the Mercedes C300 4-matic was found to have values that differed from those submitted to EPA at the time of certification. With EPA oversight, Mercedes conducted new emissions and fuel economy testing, and EPA conducted its own testing at its National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As a result of this subsequent testing, EPA is requiring Mercedes to relabel its 2013 and 2014 C300 4-matic models with lower fuel economy values.
The specific changes to fuel economy stickers are listed in the table below.
Mercedes Fuel Economy Value Updates
| Model |
C300 4-Matic FFV |
C300 4-Matic PZEV |
||||
| Combined (mpg) |
City (mpg) |
Highway (mpg) |
Combined |
City (mpg) |
Highway (mpg) |
|
| Original Values |
22 |
20 |
27 |
23 |
20 |
29 |
| New Values |
22 |
19 |
27 |
22 |
19 |
28 |
"Even though the adjustments are small, it is important that our oversight system is producing the correct results because even one MPG matters to consumers," said Christopher Grundler, director of EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality. "EPA will continue strong oversight of fuel economy values to ensure that consumers have the best information available to make important purchasing decisions, to ensure fair competition among automakers, and to protect investments in new fuel efficient technologies.
The original values reported by Mercedes underestimated the impact of aerodynamic drag and tire rolling resistance known as "road-load." While this error impacted the fuel economy estimates by a small amount, these vehicles were found to be in compliance with emissions standards. EPA also tested several other Mercedes as part of this spot check, and found their labeling was accurate.
EPA's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan, conducts fuel economy testing on a number of vehicles each year to ensure that their performance matches the mileage and emissions data automakers submit to EPA. These spot-checks are part of the oversight program that helps ensure that carmakers are following the same procedures for calculating mileage estimates. The oversight program also helps the EPA verify that vehicles on the road meet national tailpipe emission standards to protect public health and the environment.
More information on today's update: www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/updates.htm.
Updated fuel economy values are also available on the joint EPA and the Department of Energy website: www.fueleconomy.gov
Featured Gallery 2013 Mercedes C300 4Matic
View 17 Photos
Sign in to post
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Continue