(August 31, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced two proposed fuel economy labels  on Monday that would appear on the window stickers of new vehicles.

These new labels mark the biggest change in 30 years. "The old petroleum-centric labels just aren't good enough anymore," National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief David Strickland said. The new labels are necessary because of the increasing number of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that are entering the marketplace. Since they use fuel more sparingly — or not at all new methods of calculating fuel economy are needed. 

"We think a new label is absolutely necessary to help consumers make the right decision for their wallet and for the environment," said Gina McCarthy, an assistant EPA administrator.

The EPA is asking for consumer feedback to help it decide what elements work, and ultimately which designs to incorporate into the label. The two designs contain mostly the same information, but the information is presented differently in each.

The grading system was among a host of changes and additions to window stickers recommended by the agencies. They included adding comparison information on fuel economy, and new measures of carbon dioxide and smog-related emissions.

The agencies also proposed adding an equivalent gas mileage rating that would allow consumers to compare all-electric, hybrid, diesel and compressed natural gas vehicles with conventional gasoline-powered vehicles.

The first label prominently features a letter grade that is based on the vehicle's fuel economy. This letter grade would represent the biggest departure from the current sticker. The second label more closely resembles the current version, but adds more information to reflect new methods of calculating fuel economy. The EPA expects to make a decision by the end of the year, and the new label will first appear on 2012 models.  Let us know which one you like by posting a comment.

The proposed grading system would be similar to a system in the United Kingdom. There, new cars and trucks get an A through F rating, but the size of the grade on the sticker is smaller than what NHTSA and the EPA are proposing here.

The U.S. system would use an A+ through D scale. A handful of vehicles would receive an A grade; the median or midpoint grade would be a B-. No vehicle would get a failing grade. To get an A, a vehicle would have to average at least 59 mpg; to avoid a D, a vehicle would have to average at least 14 mpg.

Fully electric vehicles, such as the Nissan Leaf, would get an A+, while a plug-in hybrid would get an A. Many hybrids like the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Prius would get an A-. The Ferrari 612 would be one of the gas-hungry high-performance vehicles getting a D.

Below are examples of the two labels.



Text version of the features as shown above

1. This vehicle is rated a “B” for fuel economy and tailpipe greenhouse gases. The grading system ranges from A+ to D.

2. A new website that would describe the new labels and include tools to enable consumers to personalize their estimates based on their own driving habits (i.e., annual miles they drive, their fuel cost, etc.)

3. This vehicle will save $1,900 in fuel expenses over five years compared to the average vehicle. The estimated 5-year fuel cost of this vehicle ($8,100) is $1,900 lower than that of the average gasoline vehicle ($10,000).

4. This vehicle uses 3.8 gallons of gasoline to travel 100 miles for combined city and highway driving. This is an energy efficiency rate called fuel consumption. Fuel consumption values, unlike MPG, relate directly to the amount of fuel used.

5. This vehicle can travel about 22 miles on a gallon of gas for city driving.

6.This bar depicts the range of combined city and highway fuel economy for all labeled vehicles. The pointer shows where this vehicle is within the range.

7.This text gives the highest and lowest fuel economy of all other vehicles in the same class as the labeled vehicle (e.g. SUVs, minivans, compact cars, etc).

8. A new website that would describe the new labels and include tools to enable consumers to personalize their estimates based on their own driving habits (i.e., annual miles they drive, their fuel cost, etc.)

9. A QR Code^TM can be used by many Smartphones to access a web page, allowing consumers at a dealership to compare vehicles and personalize estimates, based on their own driving habits and fuel costs.

10. This vehicle emits 347 grams of CO₂, a greenhouse gas, per mile. This value represents the vehicle’s carbon dioxide (CO₂) tailpipe emission rate for combined city and highway driving.

11. $1,617 is the estimated annual fuel cost based on a given number of miles and fuel price, which are listed lower on the label (15,000 miles per year and $2.80 per gallon for this example).

12. This vehicle can travel about 32 miles on a gallon of gas for highway driving.

13. This bar depicts the emission rating for vehicle tailpipe emissions that contribute to local and regional air pollution, creating problems such as haze and smog. The pointer shows where this vehicle is within the range.

14.This bar depicts the range of the combined city and highway carbon dioxide (CO₂) tailpipe emission rate for all labeled vehicles. The pointer shows where this vehicle is within the range.

Text version of the features as shown above

1. This vehicle can travel about 26 miles on a gallon of gas for combined city and highway driving.

2. This vehicle uses 3.8 gallons of gasoline to travel 100 miles for combined city and highway driving. This is an energy efficiency rate called fuel consumption. Fuel consumption values, unlike MPG, relate directly to the amount of fuel used.

3. This bar depicts the range of combined city and highway fuel economy for all labeled vehicles. The pointer shows where this vehicle is within the range of all vehicles and other vehicles in the same class as the labeled vehicle.

4. www.fueleconomy.gov will continue to provide consumers with a source of in-depth information. The website allows consumers to personalize estimates based on their own driving habits (i.e. annual miles traveled, local fuel cost, etc.).

5. This vehicle can travel about 22 miles on a gallon of gas for city driving.

6. This vehicle can travel about 32 miles on a gallon of gas for highway driving.

7. $1,617 is the estimated annual fuel cost based on a given number of miles and fuel price, which are listed lower on the label (15,000 miles per year and $2.80 per gallon for this example).

8. This bar depicts the range of the combined city and highway carbon dioxide (CO₂) tailpipe emission rate for all labeled vehicles. The pointer shows where this vehicle is within the range.

9. This bar depicts the emission rating for vehicle tailpipe emissions that contribute to local and regional air pollution, creating problems such as haze and smog. The pointer shows where this vehicle is within the range.

10. A QR Code^TM can be used by many Smartphones to access a web page, allowing consumers at a dealership to compare vehicles and personalize estimates, based on their own driving habits and fuel costs.