[Hersbird]

It may be possible that in the epa test cycle, where acceleration rate and shift points are set the old car required full throttle to achieve. That full throttle would put the car into closed loop and fuel enrichment. Maybe this give just enough more power to do it at say 90% throttle and in open loop. The test is the problem, it forces good cars to be bad... and let's automatic beat manuals where they never would with a good driver. The test forces idiot mode. This whole process is like no child left behind. Teachers reach toward the test and carmakers build for the test rather than the real world.

Ps, where I fear this the most right now is on the 2019 Ram 1500. That mild hybrid my be perfectly designed just small enough to work on the test and show limited gains in real world pickup use. Hopefully it will be a hypermillers perfect tool with regen braking, auto start stop, and dfco in all gears but i worry it's a gimmick for the epa test cycle.