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EPA regulations has Toyota sidestepping to match competition2008 Toyota Tundra Switches to 2007 in New Year
Filed under: Miscellaneous, Toyota Tundra, Trucks, Truck
We love it—not—when federal regulations force automakers to make unnecessary changes.
This year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised the way vehicle fuel economy is measured, the first major change issued by the department in over 20 years. According to the federal agency, the new numbers will reflect miles per gallon figures more closely to real-world conditions. Automakers know, though, that buyers will misunderstand the new figures and assume a “drop” in fuel economy of new vehicles. Toyota, for example, will sell its all-new Tundra as a 2007 model instead of what should have been its 2008 model year. The change will allow the automaker to use the old tests and figures used by its competitors like GM and Ford, who used them for their new Silverado and F-150. Our take? We can understand Toyota’s viewpoint. The automaker stands to lose millions as consumers check out the new Tundra and, erroneously, figure it’s a gas hog.
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