Inertia Weight Class determination:
Quote:
Originally Posted by AZCivic
In other news, Honda has started offering a special removable trunk lining in the Civic and Accord hybrids. It appears to be 4 80-pound bags of sand.
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AZCivic has it almost right! According to EPA documents it should be four 75 pound bags of sand. The weight is the curb weight plus a nominal 300 lb -- i.e. it is the loaded weight! (Curb weight including full gas tank plus 300 lb worth of passengers/load, I think.)
Then the 3000 lb inertia weight class is 3000 - 125 = 2875 lb to 3000+250=3250 lb
[At 3000lb the law switches to 500 lb intervals, so the next class is 3500lb; I'm not absolutely sure that I'm right on the break point between the 3000 and 3500 classes]
The Prius II is then 2890 lb + 300 lb (load)= 3190 lb. So it is in the 3000 lb class.
The Civic also ends up in the 3000 lb class I think.
The comparison mpg is then 26.4 mpg for both.
The Prius then has 60 (city mpg)/26.4 = 2.27 or 227 % better than the reference 26.4 mpg.
The conservation credit is then for 2545 gallons, or $750.
The hybrid credit is then $2000.
The total credit for the Prius is $2750!!!!
For the CVT Civic Hybrid, with 48 mpg city:
48/26.4 = 1.82 or 182%.
The conservation credit is for 2045 gallons, or $500.
The hybrid credit is $1200.
The total credit for the HCH CVT is $1700.
For the Ford Escape front wheel drive with 36 mpg city. The weight is 3627 (for AT).
Loaded weight is 3927lb which is the 4000 lb class (between 3750 and 4250lb).
Reference mileage (4000lb light truck) is 19.4 mpg.
36/19.4 = 1.85 = 185%.
Conservation credit for 2852 gallons is $750. The hybrid credit is $1200.
Ford escape hybrid (FWD) gets $1950 credit.
I'd like someone else to check my numbers before I rush out and buy a Prius 
[i]
--Walter
PS. for those following the calculations, fuel saved is based on 120,000 miles.