New Fuel Economy Labeling Proposals for Vehicles – Guest Blog
In a press release on August 30, 2010, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have announced two proposals for rating vehicles according to fuel economy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and air pollutants. 
Based on the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 (originally named the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007) the two agencies intend to provide consumers with clear and simple energy and environmental performance information that impacts public health, such as smog. The enhanced label information will provide consumers with comparisons across all types of vehicles, including electric vehicles (EV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), and conventional gasoline-powered vehicles.
The new labels will help consumers make the best economic and environmental decisions when buying a new car and will keep pace with the new generation of fuel efficient vehicles in a fast changing global market.
To view the label designs, check the EPA page http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) page http://www.nhtsa.gov/fuel-economy.
The public is encouraged to submit comments, in particular to which design, or design features, would best help in the comparison of different vehicles in regards to fuel economy, fuel costs, and environmental impacts.
The first proposed label uses a letter grade, from A+ to D, to represent its fuel economy and tailpipe GHG performance. It also lists an estimate of the expected fuel cost-savings over five years, compared to an average gasoline model. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will be listed per mile (combined for city and highway) and the figure’s mark in the range for similar vehicles.
The second label focuses on miles per gallon (city, highway, and combined), as well as annual fuel costs. The required new comparison information on fuel economy and emissions is listed next, depicting the range of combined city and highway fuel economy for all labeled vehicles, similarly to the first label.
Both labels list a website with tools to enable consumers to personalize their estimates based on their own driving habits (such as the annual miles they drive, their fuel cost, etc.) and provide quick access to the Internet via a QR CodeTM that can be used by most Smartphones, therefore enabling consumers to compare vehicles and personalize estimates instantly at the car dealership.
Read more about Innovative business models the electric vehicles industry and if electric cars really help the environment.
This is a step forward. I welcome everyone to view the labels and provide feedback. As the EV and PHEV markets evolve, I’d like to see more information on the label about battery capacity, performance, life-cycle, as well as battery ‘recyclability’ scale. What do you think?
