US Car CO2 Emissions Labels Planned

The US government has proposed that cars for sale in America are labelled according to their fuel economy and/or emissions output: a move aimed at boosting sales of energy-efficient motor vehicles.

Together, the Department of Transportation and the US Environmental Protection Agency put forward at the end of August 2010 that showroom cars should display information relating to CO2 emissions output and other environmentally-related performance data. In so doing, they would showcase the benefits of alternative fuel and electric motor vehicles over conventional fuel-powered cars.

Two label designs are open for public comment and of these, one is based on a four-letter systems that gives an instance visual indication of a car’s green credentials.

“This is the beginning of the conversation, not the end”, Administrator at the EPA – Lisa Jackson – explained. “We are asking the American people to tell us what they need to make the best economic and environmental decisions when they are buying a new car.”

Emissions Data Labels

Provisionally, these emissions data labels could make their debut in 2012. The emissions data displayed would only reflect the gases actually leaving cars through exhaust pipes, so would not include associated emissions figures such as electricity consumption levels at electric car recharge points.

The letters would be the first four letters of the alphabet – A, B, C and D, with an A+ score reserved for the very best performers. A separate label proposal would not feature letters, but would present miles-per-gallon statistics and fuel economy data.

Earlier this year, for the first time, the EPA set greenhouse gas emission limits for cars and trucks, while the Department of Transportation set more rigorous energy efficiency standards to come into force from 2012 onwards.

Car CO2 Emissions Data

According to previously-published car CO2 emissions data, road vehicles in the US are responsible for approximately 20 per cent of the nation’s overall greenhouse gas output, while the fuel on which they run represents around 44 per cent of all oil used there.

“New technologies such as battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are entering the American market in greater numbers”, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stated in an EPA press release issued on 30 August 2010.

“We need to provide consumers with labels that include fuel economy and environmental information so that buyers can make better informed decisions when purchasing new vehicles.”