I agree that EPA is stupid, but there needs to be some standardized test that compares vehicles. Sueing Ford regarding the C-Max/Fusion ratings does seem to be a way of discouraging/punishing a company for making a better more fuel efficient vehicles however. Perhaps they should have sued them for there F-150 commercials that manipulate weak minded people who may haul the occasional sheet of plywood into thinking they need a truck.

Now remember too, the EPA is the government and as such they work for both the DFL and GOP and if you think that the federal work force is mostly liberal, you have fallen for the scam. The federal workers know that it is in fact the antagonism between the two parties and their attempts to undermine each others efforts that lead to the greatest amount of effort on the part of the federal staff and thus the best opportunity for job security. In other words, the federal workers endeavour to pit the opponents against each other knowing that any subsequent alteration of governmental oversight is an expansion of duties. Job security, because even those that want to decrease government scream that something must be done. Where, in fact, if you want to decrease government, then less must be done. Now, at the moment, the GOP is hammering the ARRA projects. So, thank you GOP, for providing an ever expanding government once again because you lack intelligence, and are concerned about your own individual political careers.

It is sad but the EPA and most groups are strictly motivated by politics/political correctness in the US and else where. The media, professors, scientists, large corps, small corps looking for government handouts for research, even the Nobel Prize has deteriorated.

With a steady 20 mph tail wind?

Only the weak minded people believe Government Motors and $50 billion dollar bailouts are unbiased.

GM, Chrysler, and Ford are/were US automakers, mostly bailed out with tens of US taxpayer $billions, but foreign Toyota/Prius/their CEO get hauled before US congress for apologies and $billion dollar fines.

Fines for Prius problems that even US NASA scientists COULD NOT FIND http://toyota-stoke.com/2012/04/19/unintended-acceleration-in-prius-accusation-proved-wrong-by-nasa/

Let's glance at the latest Government(US) Motors/EPA 'fair and balanced' unbiased accessments vs real world. http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2012/12/video-tests-show-2013-ford-fusion-c-max-hybrids-dont-live-up-to-47-mpg-claims.html

So, the US government EPA approves printing on car stickers that the over 300 lbs(~10%) heavier, 50(~40%) more horse power than Prius V Fusion hybrid gets an average 5 more mpg.

Thousands of miles of CR driven miles show the real Fusion hybrid mpg is 39, 8 mpg less than EPA 47 mpg and 2 LESS than the roomier Prius V.

For the 'weak minded people' and/or Fox news/US EPA mpg beliver, roughly pretend that if you add the 300 to 500 lb. weight of a few passengers to your car you will get 5 to 10 more miles per gallon.

The real MPG numbers are worse for the C-Max and the Energi weighs 3899 lbs http://media.ford.com/images/10031/2013_CMAX_Specs.pdf .

Ever notice how the US automaker curb weights aren't usually in the brochures, knowing that every 10% additional weight is roughly 7% worse gas mileage - every day of the life of the car.

Bernard, did you read, - ok - look at http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2012/12/video-tests-show-2013-ford-fusion-c-max-hybrids-dont-live-up-to-47-mpg-claims.html ?

The new Ford hybrid real world(actual) MPGs are ~8 MPG WORSE, as to be expected for much heavier cars than the Prius. But EPA marks the fat Ford ~5 MPG Better, while Prius is a dozen year proven 40-50 MPG vehicle.

Foreign Hyundai/Kia is refunding $millions on a ~1 MPG EPA overstatement. Consumer Reports contends and proves C-Max/Fusion drive train >5 MPG EPA overstatements.

I drove and liked a C-Max, but saw it COULDN'T AVERAGE 47 MPG EVERYWHERE - 47/47/47 MPG.

Note, often when facts/physics/reality proves an argument wrong, the loser yells 'conspiracy theories'.

@Bernard, CR found the actual Fusion hybrid mpg 39(-8 of EPA), actual Prius mpg 44(-6 of EPA) and the Prius PHEV is 553 lbs. lighter than the Fusion Energi.

The EPA impact of 5-10 additional Energi electric miles on tests is unclear, but the refunds from five times higher Ford MPG 'overstatements' could seem very related to Hyundai/Kia.

http://www.hybridcars.com/fusion-energi-epa-rated-at-43-mpg-combined-but-ford-isnt-boasting/ implies even Ford knows when something is misleading.

After Bush institutionalized political corruption and gridlock through election fraud, no-WMD wars, and no-bid-contracts - we need to minimumize misleading federal infomation - not excuse it..

@B, I couldn't locate all the specific EPA driving/stationary 'wind resistance' patterns, etc, and how many electric miles capacity are needed the fully bias EPA MPG results.

"Just remember to eat your words when Toyota upgrades the Prius to run the EPA cycle in hybrid mode."

Frankly, I don't think Toyota really wants to leave 'a winning horse'(hybrid/NiMH batteries), but the present 4.4 kwh li-ion battery gets them a PHEV ~$6,000 cheaper than the Volt.

It also has enough volume for a future battery to ~double
the electric range, whatever the EPA cycle.

I promote EVs, but I've been on enough juries to believe 47/47/47 mpg vs ~39 mpg actual is going to cost Ford - which isn't good for EVs - especially US EVs.

An aside, but if Volt sales tripled over 2011, how is this failure and what other high volume vehicles tripled their annual sales?