Smart EPA and NHSTA test results?

[lhoboy]

Originally Posted by fishrdnc

Yah, we all know that by now; gets tiring.

Luv ya!..;)

[SmartCard]

now, now...lets play nice!

Throwing out the hybrids, the Smart's 40-something does look very good for gas only engine however!

[Old smart]

Something has crossed my mind: we have been presuming that the U.S. 451’s 41+ MPG is a preliminary estimate, to be finalized after testing. Why is an odd number like 41+ assigned; why not just 40+, when the “plus” would still cover the 41? Or, they could have said "Over 40." Could it be that smart GmbH has already done the testing to the EPA standard, and got 41, and the plus is part of the “your mileage may vary” statement?

[PassionforPassionCT]

What exactly is the 40 number, highway, city, combined? If its City, thats wonderful!

[Old smart]

Presumably combined. The previously noted adjusted numbers are combined also.

[eqwalker]

What I am wondering is this. Could Smart be basing the mileage of the new Smart on the new MPG ratings (which usually results in lower MPG) while the Prius and others are still on the old MGP rating.

[Old smart]

The U.S. smart has to use the new system; all 2008s have to. The Prius numbers posted were the effect of EPA adjusting 2007 numbers to the 2008 standard, thus Prius' 55 MPG was the old system and 46 MPG the new.

[lhoboy]

The numbers for a lot of '07 models have been restated to conform to the 2008 measurement. Does anyone know if this is n actual recalculation or just an approximate adjustment to compare apples to apples?

[jonnysan]

Originally Posted by MicroNut

Depends if you factor in purchase price and overall lifecycle costs.

I've often wondered how the EPA mileage test procedure deals with energy stored in the battery pack for hybrids. If a hybrid has less energy in its battery pack at the end of the test than the beginning, that would be sort of "cheating". Anyone know if this is allowed?

Micronut is right on. Having done many "FTP's" (Federal Test Procedure-emissions and gas mileage testing using 3 bag method for anyone that is familiar with this procedure)on MB's chassis dyno (Ann Arbor, MI) in the past qualifying an alternative engine vehicle's mileage, cold start penalty is a definite part of the equation. The energy used to warm up the vehicle's engine in the beginning of the test was not able to be used at the end of the test. For example, our alternative vehicle could drive at 50 mph on a flat road for 3 additional miles while it expended the heat energy built up in the engine that we already paid for, so to speak, in the very beginning of the test. We were NOT allowed to utilize that stored energy in the test due to EPA's rules and regs, ie, turning off the fuel flow 3 miles before the end of the test and using the stored heat energy......our overall results would have been better if we had.
This is much the same principal as with the stored energy in the Prius that Micronut is suggesting, except they WERE using the stored energy and not having to replace it...kind of in reverse of what my experience was with stored heat in the engine. Another factor not considered is the regenerative braking advantage HEV's have over the regular ICE car ....a definite *PLUS* for hybrids. So comparing hybrids to regular, ICE cars is really not fair. Hybrids should have a test devised all it's own for reasons of fair comparison to vehicles not having such energy storage advantage. You can't compare apples to oranges.

[lhoboy]

jonnysan,
Thanks for the education.