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I can't see the EPA being involved in some kind of conspiracy here.
However, I can see how a vehicle manufacturer could design a vehicle's
propulsion equipment/algorithms such that the vehicle achieves overly
optimistic, read not easily reproducible in the real world, MPGs on the EPA
test cycle.
I think that most folks either don't know or forget that the MPG numbers
coming out of the EPA testing are intended for direct comparison purposes.
The EPA numbers are an estimate based on an arbitrary test cycle. They are
not a guarantee of anything meaningful. Given the infinite different driving
conditions and driver capabilities/commitment, the EPA estimate does not
necessarily predict any particular driver's MPGs. With a large enough random
sample, drivers of vehicles with a 30 MPG EPA estimate will most likely see
greater MPGs than drivers of vehicles with a 20 MPG estimate.
If the EPA estimate is taken as an average estimate, half the drivers of a
particular car will exceed it, and the other half wont.
Which half would you expect to self-select to raise a ruckus?
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