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Re: PT Cruiser and CAFE

To: "Bryan Vandiver" <Bryan.Vandiver@Eng.Sun.COM>, <spridgets@autox.team.net>, <PAsgeirsson@compuserve.com>
Subject: Re: PT Cruiser and CAFE
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2000 22:13:45 -0700
References: <200007281623.JAA27408@shorter.eng.sun.com>
Here's the scoop from someone in the business (me).  There are two classes
of trucks.  Those over 8100lbs GVWR and those over 8100lbs GVWR.  A half ton
truck, like an F150 falls into this category.  There is no CAFE requirement
for trucks over the 8100 lb GVWR category.  You will notice that the MSRP
sticker for 3/4 ton trucks do not have fuel economy ratings, because THEY
AREN'T RATED!  Ok, so Ford wants to sell more sport utes, so they purposely
make the Excursion bigger.  It is now a Heavy truck, and not subject to the
weight ratings.  Same for the 2500 Suburban.  Loop hole number two at Ford:
Alternate fuel vehicles count as double the fuel mileage rating.  So Ford
certifies all 3.0 V6 Ranger compact pickups to run on Methanol or Gasoline.
They then include the upgrade from the 4 cylinder Ranger to the 6 cylinder
for no charge.  Ranger sales soar because of the bigger engine, and instead
of counting at 25 MPG, they count as 50 MPG because they are certified as
alternate fuel vehicles.  If too many F150's and Expeditions sell, they just
up the rebate on Rangers to bring the average back into line.  It's cheaper
to give a $1500 Rebate to a Ranger customer than to pay a fine to CAFE.
David Riker
74 Midget
63 Falcon
70 Torino
http://personalweb.sunset.net/~davidr
----- Original Message -----
From "Bryan Vandiver" <Bryan.Vandiver at Eng.Sun.COM>
To: <spridgets@autox.team.net>; <PAsgeirsson@compuserve.com>
Sent: Friday, July 28, 2000 9:23 AM
Subject: Re: PT Cruiser and CAFE


> They had actually done this quite a while ago, and was metioned in a write
up in
> Consumer Reports. Having the PT-cruiser classified as a 'light truck'
brings up
> the overall 'average' gas mileage of the entire light truck line, This
makes me
> wonder what the heck Ford or GM are doing about this, with all the
Surburbans,
> and Excursions, they are selling.
> I'm really beginning to wonder what the REAL gas mileage of the PT is. I
read
> one write-up that said they got 17mpg overall, which is quite a bit less
than
> the EPA listed mileage.
>
>  - Bryan
>
> >Subject: PT Cruiser and CAFE
> >To: spridgets <spridgets@autox.team.net>
> >MIME-Version: 1.0 charset=ISO-8859-1
> >Content-Disposition: inline
> >X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by
teamfat2.dsl.aros.net id
> SAA27725
> >
> >Heard on the morning news that Chrysler had just jumped up their light
> >truck overall fuel mileage.  It's because they chose to classify the PT
> >Cruiser as a truck, not as a car.  Sort of working around the spirit of
the
> >whole CAFE mileage thing, don't you think?
> >
> >Any comments?
> >
> >Paul A
>



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