Next generation of fuel economy labels revealed

New fuel economy labels were displayed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 at the Southeast Diesel Collaborative 6th Annual Partners Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. The new labels will provide shoppers of model year 2013 cars and trucks with comprehensive fuel efficiency information.

EPA was joined by representatives from the Southeast Diesel Collaborative, which has brought together leaders from federal, state, and local governments, organizations, industry and academia to reduce diesel emissions across the eight southeastern states.

“The new labels provide the most powerful tools available for comparing estimated fuel economy among new vehicles and they will arm consumers with information that could save thousands of dollars over the lifetime of a new car,” said EPA regional administrator Gwen Keyes Fleming.

The new window stickers will have information about a vehicle’s estimated fuel costs, savings, and impact on the environment. Although automakers may voluntarily adopt the new labels for model year 2012 vehicles, all model year 2013 passenger cars and trucks will feature the improved fuel economy labels. The requirement applies to all conventional gasoline-powered and “next generation” cars, such as plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.

For the first time, fuel economy labels will compare energy use and cost between new-technology cars that use electricity and conventional cars that are gasoline-powered, including estimates on how much consumers will save or spend on fuel over the next five years.

The labels will also contain easy-to-read ratings of how a model compares to all other models for smog emissions and emissions of pollution that contribute to climate change. For electric-powered cars, the labels will indicate how much electricity it takes to drive 100 miles, as well as information on the driving range and recharging time frame.

Also new, a QR code will be on the label to allow smartphone users to scan the label and get even more information with model comparison and vehicle specific energy use. The smartphone application will allow consumers to calculate specific information tailored to their own driving distances and behaviors to get more precise estimates of their own expected fuel costs and savings.