Action Alerts

UCS Fuel Economy Citizen Survey
As gas prices skyrocket past the $2.00 mark, cars and trucks with better fuel economy are becoming more attractive to U.S. consumers. But as drivers attempt to find a more efficient car or truck from a selection that on average has sunk to a 20-year low in fuel economy, are they even getting accurate gas mileage data? The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 30-year-old tests are so outdated that they overestimate automobile fuel economy by more than 20 percent!

UCS NEEDS YOU TO HELP FIX THESE TESTS!

How to take the UCS Fuel Economy Citizen Survey:
This is where you and your auto come in. UCS is asking our activists nationwide to put your mileage where your mouth is by monitoring your own vehicle’s actual fuel economy and then sending the data to us. We will forward your information to the EPA, providing them with the essential real-world data they need for revising fuel economy tests. We will also use the survey as part of an analysis that we will make available for decision makers and consumers alike.

Monitoring your vehicle's fuel economy is a surprisingly simple task. Here’s what you do:

1. Fill up the tank completely (don't "top off" your tank, just let it shut off normally).

2. Reset the trip odometer or just write down your current mileage (the trip odometer is either right underneath your odometer or is just an optional mode among odometer settings).

3. Drive normally until your gas tank is low (under 1/4 tank).

4. The next time you fill up, fill up completely just like you did before (again, don't "top off" your tank).

5. Write down the number of gallons displayed on the pump (e.g. 14.583), or save your receipt (if it has the gallons information on it), and write down the miles shown on your trip meter (e.g., 352) (If you are using your main odometer, just subtract the old number you wrote down previously from the new mileage number.)

6. Divide the miles driven by the number of gallons to get your fuel economy in miles per gallon (352 mi / 14.583 gal = 24.1 mpg).

7. Finally, let us know if most of your driving was around town, on highway, or a mix of the two and please let us know the make, model and year of your car.

8. Repeat steps 3-6 for each fill up if you choose to monitor more than one tank of gas. (Do not average the tanks in the letter.)

Then all you need to do is fill out the easy-to-use online letter form, and send it to us.

That’s it!

You can choose to send us your data for one tank of gas, or for multiple tanks if you'd like, but please return your information to us by Monday, July 19, so we can relay your information to the EPA before the comment period deadline. Even if you don’t have the time (or the vehicle) to calculate your own fuel economy, you can still tell the EPA that you believe consumers deserve better information by taking action here. 

If you have general questions, comments or concerns about this action, send email to action@ucsusa.org.