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Federal government considering updating car stickers to include fuel efficiency and gas emissions information
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It’s no secret that Americans like to drive – the national highway system alone covers 160,000 miles. However, this passion for the road hasn’t necessarily been consequence-free for the environment – automobiles currently consume more than 40 percent of the U.S.’s oil intake. Now, the federal government is hoping to get consumers to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles.
The Transportation Department and the Environmental Protection Agency are considering two options that would place stickers on new vehicles in car dealership showrooms, the Associated Press reports. The initiative, if enacted, would begin with the 2012 model year and is comparing considering two different labeling systems – letter grades or direct comparisons.
The letter grade proposal would judge each car on average fuel efficiency and emissions and then assign it a corresponding grade. Currently, the average vehicle would receive a B-, electric vehicles would earn an A+, and three gas-electric hybrids including the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Prius would get an A-.
Luxury models such as the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorana and the Mercedes-Benz Maybach 57 would perform the worst, receiving no higher than a D+ under the new system. In comparison, the Toyota Camry would receive a B and the Ford F-150 would earn a C+ or a C.
Consumers, the agencies hope, would be able to scan these stickers when shopping for a new vehicle.
"From electric to plug-in hybrid vehicles, we think a new label is absolutely necessary to help consumers make the right decision for their wallet and for the environment," Gina McCarthy, the EPA’s top air pollution official, told the source.
However, automakers are questioning the letter grade system. Gloria Berquist, a spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, expressed fears that the letter grade would take consumers back to "school days where grades were powerful symbols of passing of failing."
The new regulation is required under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which also requires automakers to raise fuel efficiency to 35 mpg by 2020.
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