After Ford Motor Co. faced criticism for the fuel economy of its newly released hybrid models, the auto giant said U.S. EPA may change its procedures for testing hybrid mileage.

Two of the company's newest models fell 17 percent to 21 percent below the company's promise of 47 miles per gallon, ending up at 37 and 39 mpg.

Hybrids can lose about 7 mpg when driving at 75 mph rather than 65 mph, Raj Nair, Ford's product development chief, said at the Deutsche Bank Global Auto Industry Conference in Detroit today. A difference of 30 degrees Fahrenheit in outside temperature also can cause a disparity of 5 mpg. Hybrids also can lose another 5 mpg after 6,000 miles driven, he said.

"We continue to work closely with the EPA to determine whether the industry testing procedure needs changes for hybrid vehicle testing," Nair said (Craig Trudell, Bloomberg, Jan. 15). -- MM