How does the EPA rating scheme work?

[JExpedition07]

Interested in the updates as this is a refresh and not a whole new gen.

I notice for 2024 the 5.0L V8 now is rated the exact same as the 3.5 EB on fuel economy per the EPA stickers when walking around the Ford dealer lot yesterday. Can Ford adjust the average based on how many trucks they plan to build with a particular rear end (say 3.31 vs 3.73 allocations)?

Or did the EPA just update how they score an engine? I don’t think it’s a secret in most circumstances the 5.0 is a tad more efficient than the 3.5 Eco. They both seem to be 17/24 in 2WD and 16/23 in 4WD now. Elimination of the flex fuel maybe? Dunno.

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[WhiteLightningnshitshadow]

Great question. I remember reading a super interesting account from a guy working for a car company involved with the EPA ratings. The car company self rates each configuration and basically gets audited randomly by the EPA to see how close the rating is to the EPA tests. Ford should be adjusting for engine, cab type, frame type, gear ratio, etc. with each vehicles guestimate. I struggle to get 24mpg in a 3.5, but easily pass the estimates in the 2.7 and 5.0.

 

[HammaMan]

Still pretty much the same

 

[powerboatr]

Still pretty much the same

Yup. This


Epa still has a long way to go to simulate real world

Why not a texas 03. Run
75 mph , ac on freeze.
50 miles one start,
Then add in San Antonio loop of 30 mph for 40 miles with 50 stops, then run up to 30, brake hard. Repeat .

Our 3.5 eco avg 18 for our normal driving and might peak at 22 on long highway sustained driving.

 

[WhiteLightningnshitshadow]

I'd like to see something that isn't a real world test actually. I want to see steady state on an indoor track (no environmental wind, but still accounts for aerodynamics) constant at 20mph, 40mph, 60mph, 70mph, and a consumption test under constant acceleration from 0-60. The acceleration should be timed to get to 60 at exactly 20 seconds to simulate real world acceleration and serve to compare vehicles.

 

[SingleSpeed427]

You meant EPA Rating "Scam", right? ?

 

[HammaMan]

I'd like to see something that isn't a real world test actually. I want to see steady state on an indoor track (no environmental wind, but still accounts for aerodynamics) constant at 20mph, 40mph, 60mph, 70mph, and a consumption test under constant acceleration from 0-60. The acceleration should be timed to get to 60 at exactly 20 seconds to simulate real world acceleration and serve to compare vehicles.

Why? Once you have the aerodynamic profile from the wind tunnel, you know the drag values. The dyno can do the rest. An issue crops up when you want repeatable data but still have to have a human at the wheel.

 

[WhiteLightningnshitshadow]

Why? Once you have the aerodynamic profile from the wind tunnel, you know the drag values. The dyno can do the rest. An issue crops up when you want repeatable data but still have to have a human at the wheel.

I guess you could math out the load produced by drag and apply that to the dyno.

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