Fuel Economy Label Updates

• Overview
• Audi, Bentley, Porsche and Volkswagen updates
• BMW updates
• Mercedes updates
• Ford updates
• Hyundai updates
• Kia updates

Overview

The fuel economy label provides consumers with reliable and repeatable estimates of real-world fuel economy for national-average drivers and conditions allowing consumers to compare fuel economy across different car models.

EPA requires auto manufacturers to revise MPG (miles per gallon) values on fuel economy labels (window stickers) if relevant information becomes available that show that values are too high. EPA oversees the MPG values on fuel economy labels in a variety of ways including:

• Conducting independent testing on about 15% of vehicle models each year. This testing is done on pre-production vehicles provided by manufacturers.
• Testing in-use cars and trucks to confirm the fuel economy labels are accurate for post-production vehicles.
• Assessing information provided by consumer groups, the auto industry, and fueleconomy.gov to identify models for further testing.

If testing reveals that fuel economy labels are inaccurate, EPA will require manufacturers to update the MPG values to provide consumers with the most accurate information available.

Audi, Bentley, Porsche and Volkswagen Updates

• EPA is revising estimates for a number of model year 2013-2017 Audi, Bentley, Porsche and Volkswagen vehicles to ensure consumers are given accurate fuel economy values.
• In the course of the investigation concerning defeat devices in Volkswagen’s diesel vehicles, the EPA and the California Air Resources Board discovered that the company employed software to manage vehicle transmissions in gasoline vehicles. This software causes the transmission to shift gears during the EPA-prescribed emissions test in a manner that sometimes optimizes fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the test, but not under normal driving conditions.
• This resulted in inflated fuel economy values for some vehicles.
• The affected vehicles and their updated fuel economy labels are listed in the table below.
• EPA is working with the Department of Energy to update fueleconomy.gov with the corrected values. We anticipate the updates to be made by September 6, 2019.

Learn more:

• Press release: EPA Requires Audi, Bentley, Porsche and Volkswagen to Correct Fuel Economy Labels for a Number of 2013-2017 Gasoline Powered Vehicles.

BMW Updates

• During an audit, EPA determined that the test results for the 2014 BMW Mini Cooper 3-Door differed from those submitted to EPA at the time of certification.
• Specifically, EPA conducted road-load audits of Mini vehicles produced by BMW in the 2014 model year.
• The Mini Cooper 3-door was found to have road-loads (i.e. aerodynamic drag, tire rolling resistance, and driveline friction) which exceeded EPA audit criteria when compared to the values originally reported by BMW at the time of certification.
• Both BMW and EPA performed emissions and fuel economy testing of the affected models using the road-loads determined in the production vehicle audit.
• The vehicles were found to be in compliance with the emissions standards, but the fuel economy label values were affected.

The specific changes to fuel economy labels are listed in the table below.

• If you'd like to see the press releases related to this update, you can search the archive.
  Search: Press release: EPA requiring BMW to correct fuel economy labels for four Mini Cooper vehicles

Mercedes Updates

• During an audit, EPA determined that the test results for the Mercedes C300 4-matic 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 the testing, EPA required Mercedes to relabel the 2013 and 2014 C300 4-matic models with lower fuel economy values.

The specific changes to fuel economy labels are listed in the table below.

• If you'd like to see the press releases related to this update, you can search the archive.
  Search: Press release: EPA requires Mercedes-Benz to correct fuel economy labels for two C300 4-matic vehicles 

Ford Updates 

• Ford alerted EPA that it had identified an error affecting fuel economy values for a number of their vehicles.
• Specifically, Ford discovered that it underestimated some of the real world factors, including aerodynamics and tire friction that are important inputs into fuel economy testing.
• EPA worked with Ford on an extensive re-testing program to correct the error, overseeing Ford's fuel economy tests, and also conducted independent testing at EPA's National Vehicle Fuel and Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan to confirm the results.
• As a result of this testing, Ford is now relabeling six vehicle models.

The specific changes to fuel economy labels are listed in the table below.

• If you'd like to see the press releases related to this udpate, you can search the archive.
  Search: Press release: EPA requires Ford to correct fuel economy for six vehicle models 
• Revised fuel economy label estimates for 2013 Ford C-Max

Hyundai Updates

Hyundai lowered their fuel economy estimates for the majority of their model year 2012 and 2013 vehicle models as the result of an EPA investigation of test data. 

The specific changes to fuel economy labels are listed in the table below.

• ​Hyundai and Kia clean air act settlement

Kia Updates

Kia lowered their fuel economy estimates for the majority of their model year 2012 and 2013 vehicle models as the result of an EPA investigation of test data. 

The specific changes to fuel economy labels are listed in the table below.

• ​Hyundai and Kia clean air act settlement