Detailed Test Information
EPA tests vehicles by running them through a series of driving routines, also called cycles or schedules, that specify vehicle speed for each point in time during the laboratory tests.
For 2007 and earlier model year vehicles, only the city and highway schedules were used. Beginning with 2008 models, three additional tests are used to adjust the city and highway estimates to account for higher speeds, air conditioning use, and colder temperatures.
EPA has established testing criteria for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids that are slightly different than those for conventional vehicles.
City: Represents urban driving, in which a vehicle is started with the engine cold and driven in stop-and-go rush hour traffic.
Highway: Represents a mixture of rural and Interstate highway driving with a warmed-up engine, typical of longer trips in free-flowing traffic.
High Speed: Represents city and highway driving at higher speeds with more aggressive acceleration and braking.
Air Conditioning: Account for air conditioning use under hot outside conditions (95°F sun load).
Cold Temperature:Tests the effects of colder outside temperatures on cold-start driving in stop-and-go traffic.
| Test Cycle Attributes | Test Cycle | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | Highway | High Speed | A/C | Cold Temp |
|
| Trip Type | Low speeds in stop-and-go urban traffic | Free-flow traffic at highway speeds | Higher speeds; harder acceleration & braking | A/C use under hot ambient conditions | City test w/ colder outside temp. |
| Top Speed | 56 mph | 60 mph | 80 mph | 54.8 mph | 56 mph |
| Average Speed | 21.2 mph | 48.3 mph | 48.4 mph | 21.2 mph | 21.2 mph |
| Max. Acceleration | 3.3 mph/sec | 3.2 mph/sec | 8.46 mph/sec | 5.1 mph/sec | 3.3 mph/sec |
| Simulated Distance | 11 mi. | 10.3 mi. | 8 mi. | 3.6 mi. | 11 mi. |
| Time | 31.2 min. | 12.75 min. | 9.9 min. | 9.9 min. | 31.2 min. |
| Stops | 23 | None | 4 | 5 | 23 |
| Idling time | 18% of time | None | 7% of time | 19% of time | 18% of time |
| Engine Startup* | Cold | Warm | Warm | Warm | Cold |
| Lab temperature | 68ºF–86ºF | 95ºF | 20ºF | ||
| Vehicle air conditioning | Off | Off | Off | On | Off |
| Vehicle heater | Off | Off | Off | Off | On |
* A vehicle's engine doesn't reach maximum fuel efficiency until it is warm.