Speaking of miles…

The US EPA is revising its system for rating the MPG (miles per gallon) of cars. The new ratings will make MPG ratings dip by about 15%. Will this hurt hybrid car sales making them less of an appeal?

The new ratings factor in drivers who accelerate quickly, driving in cold weather, and driving with the air conditioning on. According to the EPA, the ratings for the Toyota Prius are likely to drop from 55 combined city/highway MPG to 46, or about 16 percent. The Honda Civic Hybrid EPA rating will likely drop by about 15 percent. At the other extreme, the Hummer will drop from 17 to 15 MPG.

The new rating system will likely make hybrids less appealing to some buyers, who might be more reticent to spend extra for a car that gets less than 50 mpg. It could also force the federal government to revise the hybrid tax credit system which compares vehicles relative to their class in fuel economy.

Via Wired Autopia.