Although each vehicle manufacturer has a proprietary way of defining very precisely how its vehicle must perform, it is assumed here that the following parameters will remain essentially constant as the technologies that reduce fuel consumption are considered:

• Interior passenger volume;
• Trunk space, except for hybrids, where trunk space may be compromised;
• Acceleration, which is measured in a variety of tests, such as time to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph, 0 to 30, 55 to 65 (passing), 30 to 45, entrance ramp to highway, etc.;
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The terms fuel economy and fuel consumption; these two terms are widely used, but very often interchangeably and incorrectly, which can generate confusion and incorrect interpretations:

Fuel economy is a measure of how far a vehicle will travel with a gallon of fuel; it is expressed in miles per gallon. This is a popular measure used for a long time by consumers in the United States; it is used also by vehicle manufacturers and regulators, mostly to communicate with the public. As a metric, fuel economy actually measures distance traveled per unit of fuel.
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