Next generation fuel economy labels arm consumers with information they can use

This Administration has taken unprecedented steps to protect consumers at the gas pump.  In March, the President announced a plan to reduce our oil imports by a third by 2025--leveraging domestic resources while reducing the oil we consume.  Since the beginning, this Administration has been making investments and taking smart steps that are already helping us move towards this important goal.  You can see it in our investment in alternative fuels and our support of electric vehicles--creating jobs while decreasing costs for consumers.

Most importantly, you can see it in the historic, national fuel economy standards for passenger cars and trucks achieved last year under President Obama’s leadership.

Today, I'm excited to join Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson in introducing new fuel economy labels that will empower car buyers with better information about what they will spend or save on fuel costs when looking to purchase a new vehicle. This is one part of President Obama's plan to provide Americans with relief from high gas prices and break our dependence on foreign oil.

These labels offer consumers more information in a more usable format.  When shopping for a new vehicle, you'll be able to see your expected savings over a five-year period, a fuel economy comparison to other vehicles in the same class, and easy-to-understand guidance about each car or truck’s environmental impact.  The bottom line is that these labels will help people make informed decisions when they're buying a car, so that they can save money at the gas pump.

The new labels also feature a QR code that allows car buyers to comparison shop on the go.  Shoppers can scan the QR code with their smartphones to store that vehicle's information, compare it to other vehicles, and access www.fueleconomy.gov for even more information.

Because of President Obama's efforts and automakers' innovations, Americans today have many more options for fuel-efficient vehicles than ever before.  And the new labels will help us make sense of those options and take advantage of the new, more energy efficient fleet to save money and reduce tailpipe emissions. 

Perhaps the most terrific thing about these labels is that--despite their sophistication--they are easy to understand.  We're talking about a new generation of labels for a new generation of cars.

We know that transportation is one of the biggest costs in any family's budget.  When we provide more useful information about how a family's budget will be affected by a new car or truck purchase, we're empowering Americans to make better decisions and save more money.

And with the labels we're introducing today, shoppers will be armed with the most powerful informational tools yet to make the best decision for their families, their wallets, and the air we breathe.

Comments

[ken if]

is the MPG actual from real vehicle tests or estimated?

[Jon]

Many inefficient SUV's would have received a 'C+' grade or lower under the unambiguous letter grade proposal for the fuel economy label, now apparently abandoned. Along with MPG and cost-saving numbers also (to have been) included in such a label, quick and clear comparative information would have been available. I.e., inefficient vehicles would receive lower fuel economy grades. Simple and straightforward.

The auto industry reportedly lobbied against the letter-grade option. Who are the real 'winners'...?

[Rich McKnight]

Did you really show up in a SUV that gets 12mpg to roll out the new stickers? You sound very pompous much like the pompous one you work for.

[Jim Bullis, Miastrada Company]

It is now official, the Second Law of Thermodynamics has been repealed.

Look at the fueleconomy.gov site and go to the electric vehicle tab. You will eventually discover that a gallon of gasoline represents a 33.7 kWhr of electric energy.

A gallon of gasoline has never produced more than about 11 kWhr of electric energy.

The only equivalence is the amount of heat that can be produced by these two forms of energy.

MPGe as thus defined by our EPA is an outrageous lie. And it will trick people into buying electric vehicles that have no special merit in limiting CO2. The trick will be ok as long as coal remains cheap and we think it is a good thing to shift from oil to coal.

Unfortunately it removes the incentive to actually make an energy efficient vehicle, since it gives the impression that electrifying a car accomplishes so much.

[Corporate Jet Charters]

I think this is absolutely fantastic. I recently purchased a smaller car than my last one. I really just wanted something a little sportier since my children are now driving their own cars and I was amazed in the difference in what I am spending on gas. I don't drive a whole lot but even still... I am now only consuming about $15 per week in fuel vs. my larger car using about $30 per week. I cannot believe how infrequently I have to put gas in the car... this is great!

[Rick Noel]

Great advance on the new fuel labels which will help people become more educated in terms of quantifying fuel efficiency benefits and factoring those into their vehicle purchasing decision process. The QR codes are going to be huge as the adoption of camera enabled smartphones now are reaching price points that put them within reach of most US consumers.
Since global oil scarcity is a known constraint that is going to get worse as global demand outpaces supplies/reserves, the above solution, while a huge step forward, it is a mid-term solution, albeit a much needed one.
Alternative energy is only long term solution as most experts agree that 50-100 years is the time horizon when natural crude will become extinct like the dinosaurs that gifted planet earth its rich oil resources. I would love to hear about programs in those areas in future posts. Thanks.

[Patrick Morgan]

Great piece. Thank you for sharing.