Dan Neil, in yesterday's WSJ, gives his usual amusing and informative take on the C-Max Hybrid (he likes it), as well as commenting on the mpg controversy and what he thinks causes it - summarizing, a testing effect. A short quote:
"So we have a very complex, specialized, high-stakes test, often self-administered, being laid siege to by auto makers' legion of code writers, even as the standards themselves are soaring [referring to the new 2025 standard] . . .
"Where does all this leave the C-Max? I think it's likely that Ford's hybrid powertrain programming is, let's say, overly familiar with the EPA's testing regime. For example: key to the Ford hybrid's system is its all-electric speed range of up to 62 mph. If you are really gentle with the accelerator, you can reach highway speeds without ever switching on the gas engine. That's a huge win during the testing cycle, although hard to replicate in the real world. I wouldn't even call it an attempt to game the system. It's the result of human nature, to the extent that automotive engineers are human."
Full article here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324001104578161401552249678.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;