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Four vehicle fleets, consisting of 3 to 4 vehicles each, were emission tested on a 48″ roll chassis dynamometer using both the FTP urban dynamometer driving cycle and the REP05 driving cycle. The REP05 cycle was developed to test vehicles under high speed and high load conditions not included in the FTP. The vehicle fleets consisted of 1989 light-duty gasoline vehicles, 1992-93 limited production FFV/VFV methanol vehicles, 1992-93 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles and their gasoline counterparts, and a 1992 production and two prototype ethanol FFV/VFV vehicles. All vehicles (except the dedicated CNG vehicles) were tested using Auto/Oil AQIRP fuels A and C2. Other fuels used were M85 blended from A and C2, E85 blended from C1, which is similar to C2 but without MTBE, and four CNG fuels representing the range of in-use CNG fuels. In addition to bag measurements, tailpipe exhaust concentration and A/F data were collected once per second throughout every test.

Fuel economy measurements from portions of Phase I of the Auto/Oil Air Quality Improvement Research Program were analyzed. The following fuel variables were examined: aromatics, olefins, T90, RVP, and various oxygenates (MTBE, ETBE and ethanol). Two vehicle fleets were tested: twenty 1989 vehicles and fourteen 1983-1985 vehicles. Three measures of fuel economy were analyzed. EPA Fuel Economy used the calculation defined in the Federal Register and is an attempt to correct for changes in fuel properties. Volumetric Fuel Economy is based on a carbon balance calculation and is a measure of the actual volume of gasoline burned. Energy Specific Fuel Economy is a measure of fuel economy based on energy content. The following fuel changes resulted in reductions of Volumetric Fuel Economy in both fleets: reduced aromatics, reduced olefins, reduced T90, and addition of oxygenates. Changes in RVP did not have a significant effect on fuel economy.