WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Fuel-saving gasoline-hybrid cars do not save as much fuel as thought, a new U.S. fuel-economy ratings system says.
The new federal ratings, which will change the fuel-economy figures appearing on car-window stickers in showrooms, affect all vehicles sold in the United States.
The new way of calculating miles per gallon goes into effect with 2008 models, but a government Web site, www.fueleconomy.gov, shows what 2007 and older models would get if they were rated using next year's standards, USA Today reports.
Toyota's best-selling Prius hybrid drops to 48 mpg in the city from 60 mpg -- a 20 percent decline. Its highway mileage rating falls about 12 percent to 45 mpg from 51 mpg.
"What the cars get hasn't changed. It's just the numbers on the sticker," Toyota spokesman Mike Michels says.
The lowered Prius rating is "probably more reflective of real-world experience," he says. "We hear people getting 46 to 50. I have one, and I get 48."
