Feds follow Calif. on fuel economy labels for cars

June 2, 2011 | Sarah Terry-Cobo, California Watch

fueleconomy.govNew Fuel Economy labels feature smog rating, fuel savings.

The nation's lead environmental agency is again following in California's footsteps – or tire tracks – when it comes to cars. The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation unveiled new fuel economy labels for vehicles last week that resemble those used in the Golden State.

This is another step toward more closely aligning federal policies with California's strict pollution standards for cars and trucks. As California Watch previously reported, the EPA and transportation department are working with the state to align standards for gas mileage and greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles made from 2017 to 2025.

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The new labels will prominently feature gas mileage and fuel savings but, with a nod to California labels, will also feature a smog rating and a global warming score. California has featured both environmental scores on labels since Jan. 1, 2009. The federal labels will appear on new vehicles beginning in 2013.

The scores range from one to 10, with 10 being the highest environmental score, or least amount of pollution from smog-forming gases and greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. The FuelEconomy.gov website notes that electric vehicles have a smog rating of 10 because there are no tailpipe emissions.

“These labels are evidence that tough standards are already delivering clean, efficient cars that save consumers thousands of dollars over the life of the vehicle," said Mary Nichols, chair of the state's Air Resources Board, in a prepared statement. "I am confident that the standards we are now working on with our federal partners will continue to drive innovation and deliver even more savings and greater reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.”

In a sign of the times, the EPA's labels will feature a "quick response" code, allowing consumers to comparison shop on their smart phones. A quick response code is a type of bar code that automatically connects a smart phone to a website, provided the user has downloaded an application that scans the codes. The federal office also released a video with more information about how to use the code for comparison shopping.

California's labels were developed before quick response technology was widely used in marketing, but the state does have a "drive clean" website that offers similar comparison shopping features.

"It’s likely that in the fall the board will consider the possibility of accepting the federal labels, and not require separate California labels as well," Air Resources Board representative Stanley Young said in an e-mail message.

Filed under: Environment, Daily Report

Tags: Air Resources Board, fuel economy, global warming, greenhouse gases

Comments

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Dan_Kalb

June 3, 2011

The Union of Concerned Scientsts (UCS) wrote the law in California that required the state's environmental performance labels for new cars. We're glad to see the federal government follow suit. With the new scales for Smog and Fuel Economy, the scales on the new federal label will need updating every few years to ensure that relatively dirty vehicles don't receive a high score. Californians and all Americans need all the help they can get to deal with high gas prices--and these new window labels will provide better information so we can make better choices at the dealership. Buying a clean, fuel-efficient vehicle is the most effective step anyone can take to save money at the gas pump, reduce auto pollution, and cut America’s oil dependence. The new labels would have been even better if the auto industry had not pressured the agency to drop plans to give each car a letter grade, which would have been the simplest, most effective way to communicate what consumers should look for in a vehicle. It’s ironic that just as automakers are rolling out more clean cars, they block a labeling system that would have clearly and concisely told consumers what vehicles deliver the greatest savings, pollution reductions, and energy security benefits. And most importantly, labels can only tell consumers what they are getting, not what they deserve. Stronger car standards are needed so that automakers put fuel-saving technology to work to make all vehicles cleaner and more fuel efficient.

Environment | Daily Report