Poll: Is it BS for Ford NOT to Release Super Duty MPG Figures?
I know what you’re gonna say, Billy Bob; “the price of a gallon of fuel is at a record-low, so I could care less about what kind of mpg my big ‘ole honky-tonk truck gets.” And I would partially agree with you, but that being said—should Ford (and other manufacturers) release MPG figures on their class 3 trucks?
The debate started a long time ago, but it was recently revived by the wise Andrew P. Collins from Jalopnik, who called BS on manufacturers keeping such information hidden away from the public, and make government agencies believe that such figures aren’t relevant due to the “heavy duty” nature of said machines. Any truck with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 8,500 pounds does not have to hand-over any fuel economy estimates to the EPA, nor do they have to make them available to consumers via window sticker or other forms of advertising.
Now, let’s think for a moment about the kind of vehicles we’re talking about; Ford F-250, Ford F-350, Chevy Silverado 2,500, RAM 2500, and even the Cummins Diesel-powered Nissan Titan XD. These are all trucks primarily used by real truck people with real truck needs, not the recreational kind that buys an F-150 Limited just because it’s nice, or because a truck bed might come in handy some day.
Jalopnik builds a decent case by saying that given this regulation’s business-to-business approach, rather than business-to-consumer, it’d be even more important to release MPG figures so businesses could know the real operating costs of their machinery. I’d agree for a moment, but then I’d remind myself that fuel costs are highly volatile and that most multi-national companies that buy these heavy duty trucks by the bulk know that.
See, companies don’t base their operational budgets based on MPG, they base it on a cost average related to IRS mileage rates and the longevity of the truck itself. Meaning that a company like AT&T knows that whether a gallon of fuel costs $2.50 or $5.25, it’s simply the cost of doing business. More importantly, they won’t base their initial truck purchase and investment based on MPG figures, but on how long that truck will perform its job on the road. Therefore making MPG estimates on an F-250 chassis truck irrelevant.
In the end, just because the target demographic of such vehicles doesn’t give many f*@ks about MPG figures, it doesn’t mean the rest of the consumers don’t care. In the end, the information should be made available, if requested, otherwise, it just looks shady.
Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>
