The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation have unveiled significant revisions to the fuel-economy labels that are required on all new cars and light-duty trucks.
But the new labels aren’t yet final; two proposals were put forward. The EPA and the DOT are requesting feedback over the next 60 days (go to www.epa.gov/fueleconomy) before they finalize the design, which they expect to be rolled out in time for most 2012 models.
A redesign is necessary in order to be able to accommodate the variety of new technology choices that are available or will soon be, such as electric vehicles and hybrids with significant electric-only range. Today’s EV sticker, for example, lists EPA city and highway efficiency in units of kWh/100 miles, which is pretty impossible for a non-calculator-wielding consumer to compare at a glance with, say, a hybrid that’s rated in miles per gallon.
The proposals show that, going forward, all cars will be rated on a miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) scale, which converts alternative means of propulsion—such as electricity or natural gas—based on their energy content relative to that of a gallon of gasoline. Vehicles with multiple operating modes, such as the Chevy Volt—which can travel as far as 40 miles on electric-only propulsion—will have two ratings, one for efficiency while being propelled by the battery and a second for when the gas-engine generator is providing the electricity. A further addition for battery-powered vehicles is the required recharging time, although there was no mention as to the assumed power source used for this calculation. And, disconcertingly, the sample for an E85 flexible-fuel vehicle displays mileage figures for the vehicle exclusively while burning gasoline. When running on E85, fuel economy plummets by roughly 30 percent, and this should be clearly communicated to consumers.
Of course, these new labels don’t answer the most important question, which is how the two ratings for a vehicle such as the Volt will be combined into the single fuel-economy number. This number will be used for the all-important Corporate Average Fuel Economy (or CAFE) standard that automakers are required to meet.
In addition to fuel-economy information, the new labels add two emissions scores: one for tailpipe CO2 emissions and another for other air pollutants. Some argue, however, that this isn’t necessarily fair in the case of electric vehicles, which won’t get penalized for CO2 emitted during the creation of the electricity they use.
One of the proposals puts a prominent letter grade based on fuel economy and emissions at the top of the label—a scoring system so simple as to be perfectly understood, even by children. But is this really necessary? Although this writer is a numbers-loving engineer, I really don’t think it’s too much to ask the car-buying public to grasp the higher-is-better MPGe system. Plus, what makes for an “A” will no doubt shift as cars get more efficient over time, so letter-grade ratings likely won’t be comparable as time goes on, whereas the MPGe system doesn’t have this problem.
Although by and large the new labels make it far easier to compare cars that utilize different technologies, we have another suggestion. Currently, all cars have on their window sticker an estimated fuel cost for a year. Rather than this, we propose a cost-per-mile figure. That would make it easier for a potential buyer to see how long it might take to pay back the higher price of a hybrid or electric car. We’ve got 60 days to convince the EPA, so send them your feedback now!
Related posts:
- Breaking Down the New 2016 Fuel-Economy Standards
- 2011 Honda CR-Z Pricing, Fuel Economy Announced
- Top 10 Ways to Boost Your Personal Fuel Economy – Feature
