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European automakers overstate fuel economy by 40% on NEDC cycle

Volkswagen is apparently not alone among European automakers when it comes to giving out funny emissions or fuel economy numbers. It turns out that pretty much everyone across the Pond is doing it. So much, in fact, that, on average, the difference between European vehicles' fuel-economy and emissions figures and real-world driving results is about 40 percent, Bloomberg says, citing a report from Brussels-based Transport & Environment. Yes, 40 percent. Mercedes-Benz was the worst offender, as the Daimler division on average overstated its vehicles' fuel economy by 48 percent, said the study, which used data from International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). That automaker isn't exactly a world-beater for fuel economy in the US. In fact, two of its models, the Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG and the G550 (pictured), showed up on the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy's (ACEEE) annual list of cars that are "meanest" to the environment. "The information provided by manufacturers on fuel consumption is based on the NEDC test cycle, which is prescribed by law and conducted in a laboratory. Since real driving conditions generally deviate from conditions in the laboratory, the consumption figures can also deviate from the standardized figures. Since T&E has unfortunately not published the test conditions used in its study, it is not possible to provide a useful analysis of the test results," Mercedes-Benz wrote in an e-mailed statement to Autoblog. "The data pool used also does not allow a thorough scientific assessment. Mercedes-Benz emphatically supports the introduction of the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure). This is supposed to replace the NEDC with the aim of bringing the rated fuel consumption and the actual consumption closer together. We also actively support the dialog between industry (ACEA) and the authorities, and are in regular contact with the EPA and the ARB in the US." The ICCT is the group that helped spur the investigation that led to the Volkswagen diesel-emissions scandal we're all still talking about, so it shouldn't expect Christmas cards from the largest German automakers this year. This new study came from data taken from about 600,000 cars. That's a lot of funky air floating over Rome. The overstatements were pretty widespread, too. The fuel-economy of the BMW 5 Series was overstated by almost 50 percent, as was the Peugeot 308's.

Mercedes-Petronas AMG W04 launched to little fanfare, lots of pressure [w/video]

No indoor cocktail hour for the launch of the W04, the newest chassis built by the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team. Instead, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton spent a morning in photo and video sessions at the track in Jerez, Spain then paused a moment to introduce the car. The team will want the W04 to demonstrate the World Championship credentials of the team personnel and one of the team drivers, instead of the mostly humble performances we've seen over the past three years.
The W04 has been fitted with a new five-element front wing, pushrod front and pull-rod rear suspension, a second-generation Coanda exhaust and an "aggressively packaged" rear end. A small vanity panel, à la Infiniti Red Bull's RB9, covers the stepped nose.
Team principal Ross Brawn has called it "a clear step forward in design and detail sophistication," but as much as we truly respect Brawn's abilities and achievements, we heard him say similar things about the updated W03 last year before almost every race weekend from about mid-season. We really hope he's right this time, and so does the team's newest driver, Lewis Hamilton. We'll do our best to ignore the parallels of the Mercedes F1 team having signed a sponsorship deal with Blackberry, another company trying to find its way back to the top and still struggling, and just point you to the video below of the W04 in action.

Meet the Greenest and Meanest vehicles of 2016

If you've been keeping track, you won't be surprised with the number one entry in this year's list of greenest cars from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). In fact, the top three spots on the 2016 list are all the same as they were in 2015. After that, things get interesting. For one thing, this is the first Greenest list that doesn't have any purely internal combustion engine powertrain on it. Hybrids, yes, but if you want to be one of the top 12 greenest cars this year, you'd better have some sort of electric angle. ACEEE says that the conventional, gas-powered Smart Fortwo and Chevrolet Spark just missed the cut. In a statement, ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan said, "The 2016 scores are in, and plug-in electric vehicles are outpacing all other vehicle offerings in terms of environmental friendliness." Like last year, one of the noticeable vehicles missing from the green list is the Tesla Model S. One reason? ACEEE takes curb weight into account (lighter is better), and the Model S is a heavy beast. The ACEEE doesn't just look at the clean side of the ledger. It also puts out a "meanest" list. These are the vehicles that pollute the most, not only from their tailpipes, but also any pollution created during the entire manufacturing process, from mining the raw materials to the energy used to produce the vehicle at the factory. The entire list, from greenest to meanest, is done using a "cradle to grave" analysis. You can see how the ACEEE determines its rankings here, explore the entire greenest cars site here, or click through our galleries to see which vehicles are extra green (above) or extra mean (below) this year. 12: Mercedes-Benz GL550 4MATIC View 12 Photos More Electric Cars than Ever on Greenest Vehicles List Electric Vehicles Nab 9 out of Top 12 Spots in ACEEE's Environmental Vehicle Rankings Washington, DC: Despite a tumultuous year for the automotive industry, manufacturers have continued to offer exciting technology options for a growing vehicle market. Today at greenercars.org, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released its 19th annual comprehensive environmental ratings for vehicles. The following vehicles comprise the Greenest List for 2016: Greenest Score 1. Mercedes-Benz Smart ForTwo Electric Drive Convertible / Coupe 63 2. Chevrolet Spark EV 63 3. Fiat 500E 62 4. Toyota Prius Eco 61 5. Volkswagen E-Golf 61 6. Nissan Leaf S / Leaf SV 61 7. Kia Soul Electric 59 8.