ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 30, 2010 -- Michael Duoba, an automotive engineer with the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, says that the process the EPA was using to measure fuel economy of hybrid vehicles had to be changed.

"Until now, the fuel economy claims for plug-in hybrids were not calculated according to similar procedures, making car-to-car comparisons virtually impossible,” said Duoba.

Duoba is the chair of the SAE International Hybrid J1711 Task Force, the group that recently created a revised testing procedure to help provide better, more consistent hybrid vehicle emission and mileage data to the consumer.

“What makes this procedure – and other SAE-developed recommended practices – significant is that EPA typically considers them as the basis for the automotive regulations it promulgates. Ultimately, the consumer benefits with valuable vehicle information that can help guide a purchase decision."

The new testing standard Duoba and his team came up with is called "J1711 – Recommended Practice for Measuring the Exhaust Emissions and Fuel Economy of Hybrid Electric Vehicles, including Plug-in Hybrid."

The SAE Recommended Practice set by J1711 creates chassis dynamometer test procedures for hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) intended for use on public roads. It takes into account the expanding definition of partial hybrid electric vehicles, and it outlines procedures to test the exhaust emissions and potential fuel saving capability of these vehicles.

To purchase a copy of the complete SAE’s report, visit http://standards.sae.org/j1711_201006