Toyota Canada supports the Federal Government’s announcement to introduce new fuel consumption ratings for cars and light trucks starting in model year 2015. The new ratings will better represent consumers’ typical driving conditions by taking into account air conditioner usage, cold temperature operation and driving at higher speeds with more rapid acceleration and braking. The updated fuel consumption ratings will provide consumers with a more accurate estimate of a vehicle’s fuel consumption and will ensure consumers have the most relevant information available when making vehicle purchase decisions.
In addition to the fuel consumption rating changes, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) also announced the most fuel efficient vehicles for model year 2014. Toyota Canada is proud to say that we have the most class leading fuel efficient vehicles of any Canadian manufacturer. We have the most fuel efficient vehicle in 6 of 15, or 40%, of the NRcan vehicle classes, once again demonstrating our leadership in providing the most fuel efficient vehicles to Canadian consumers.
More information can be found by accessing the Natural Resources Canada website at www.vehicles.nrcan.gc.ca.
General FAQs
Q. Has something changed on the vehicle fuel consumption label?
A. Yes. The Government of Canada has changed the methodology for determining the fuel consumption ratings of new vehicles.
Q. Why has the methodology for determining fuel consumption ratings of new vehicles changed?
A. Consumers were consistently reporting that they could not meet the label values. To better approximate typical driving conditions/behaviours, the government aligned with the methodology used in the US, moving from 2-cycle testing to 5-cycle testing.
Q. How has the methodology for determining fuel consumption ratings of new vehicles changed?
A. Current testing uses city and highway ratings, called 2-cycle testing. Moving forward to model year 2015 vehicles, the methodology will include three additional tests that account for air conditioner usage, cold temperature operation and driving at higher speeds with more rapid acceleration and braking. This is referred to as the 5-cycle testing procedure.
Q. What is the current method for determining fuel consumption ratings?
A. Fuel consumption values are derived from the emissions generated during two laboratory driving cycles – a city test and a highway test. This is referred to as the 2-cycle testing procedure.
Q. Will the fuel consumption ratings of the 5-cycle procedure be different from the current 2-cycle procedure?
A. Yes. The 5-cycle testing procedure results in higher ratings that are more representative of a vehicle’s on-road fuel consumption compared to the 2-cycle testing methodology.
Q. Why are the label values higher?
A. They are higher because the three additional tests that account for air conditioner usage, cold temperature operation and driving at higher speeds with more rapid acceleration and braking consumes additional fuel.
Q. Does it mean that the new MY2015 model vehicle has higher fuel consumption vs a MY2014 model vehicle?
A. No. Only the methodology for determining the fuel consumption ratings of MY2015 has changed to better approximate typical driving conditions/behaviours.
Q. Will my new vehicle consume more gas and cost more to operate?
A. No. Only the methodology for determining the fuel consumption ratings of MY2015 has changed to better approximate typical driving conditions/behaviours.
Q. Can I compare current fuel consumption ratings (2-cycle) to the new and improved fuel consumption ratings (5-cycle)?
A. Yes. For 1995-2014 model year vehicles, adjusted ratings that reflect the new test methods are shown on the vehicle details pages on the vehicles.nrcan.gc.ca web site.
Q. When will the fuel consumption ratings change be implemented?
A. The new and improved fuel consumption ratings will appear on model year 2015 vehicles.
Q. Is this an industry wide change?
A. Yes
Q. Could vehicles on the showroom floor have some labels based on a 2-cycle testing procedure and some based on a 5-cycle testing procedure?
A. Yes. MY2014 and earlier vehicles will have label values based on the 2-cycle testing procedure and MY2015 and future vehicles will have label values based on the 5-cycle testing procedure.
Q. Can I get additional information from the Government of Canada regarding this change?
A. Yes. Natural Resources Canada maintains a web site dedicated to light-duty vehicle fuel consumption at www.vehicles.nrcan.gc.ca.
Q. Will my actual fuel consumption still vary compared to the new (5-cycle) ratings?
A. Yes. NRCan has improved its methods for estimating fuel consumption, but your fuel consumption will still vary. Fuel consumption tests are designed to reflect "typical" driving conditions and driver behavior, but several factors can affect fuel consumption significantly:
- How & Where You Drive
- Vehicle Condition & Maintenance
- Fuel Variations
- Vehicle Variations
- Engine Break-In
Therefore, the NRCan ratings are a useful tool for comparing the fuel consumption of different vehicles but may not accurately predict the average fuel consumption you will get.
Q. Will Canadian mi/gal estimates match US MPG estimates?
A. No. In Canada we use Imperial gallons. In the US they use US gallons. (1 imperial gallon = 1.2 US gallons)
Q. Will the fuel consumption label highlight the change to the new (5-cycle) ratings?
A. Yes. See the sample label below.
