The B2B platform for full-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles: Policy News

US EPA and DOT are proposing new fuel economy labels for cars, clearly featuring the environmental performance of cars in terms of GHG emissions and fuel consumption visible for everybody on the window. EVs are expected to get their very own sticker with A+ rating. The public is invited to comment on the proposed new labels.

The US Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 charges the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) with designing new fuel economy labels for vehicle stickers that appear on the window of new vehicles at the dealership.The two agencies have now published a pair of design proposals and are asking the public for comments.

The labels have been designed to better incorporate new vehicle types that are not well captured by current labels, namely electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). Under the proposed labels, EVs would get an A+, PHEVs an A, and hybrids, already considered a conventional technology, could achieve an A- grade. High performance vehicles such as a Ferrari for example would get the lowest grade allowed, a D. No vehicles will get a failing grade as all cars for sale in the United States have to meet the minimum federal standard for emissions anyway, but the better the fuel economy the higher the grade.

In addition to information already provided (fuel economy and estimated annual fuel cost), the new labels would also indicate carbon dioxide and other tail-pipe emissions, fuel cost savings compared to an average gasoline-powered vehicle of the same model year and even a QR code that allows smartphones to collect the data.

The labels for advanced technology vehicle would furthermore contain additional information specific to these technologies, including:

• Driving Range: Identifies how many miles electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles can go before recharging or refueling is needed.
• Different Modes: Some vehicles, such as plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles, have different operating modes: all-electric, blended, and gasoline-only. The labels provide fuel economy information for each distinct operating mode.
• Energy Consumption Measurement: For EVs, the label shows energy use via both a miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent (mpg-e) and kilowatt-hours per 100 miles metric; PHEV labels show only the mpg-e metric. Mpg-e converts kilowatt-hours of electricity to gallons of gasoline based on energy equivalency.

Grades of the current US fleet

The goal of the new fuel economy labels is to provide consumers with simple, straightforward energy and environmental comparisons across all types of vehicles.

If the new scale were applied to all new vehicles on the US market today, the median grade would be a B-, with half the vehicles above and half below that mark. The EPA calculated in one situation that if the new sticker were applied now, many 2010 vehicles would get fairly low grades, including a B- for 306 small cars. Only eight current S.U.V.’s would attain a grade of B+ (68 get a C) and the highest grade for a current van would be C+.

The highest grade, A+, with fuel economy rated as equivalent to 117 miles per gallon and up, would be for “zero emission” electric cars. Plug-in hybrid electric cars (59 to 116 m.p.g. equivalent) would get an A, and some conventional hybrids, like the Toyota Prius and Ford Fusion, would get an A-. Other hybrids, like the Nissan Altima, Ford Escape and Toyota Camry, would receive a B+.

But the label is not yet set in stone. A second proposed window sticker contains the same basic information as the first, but is more of an evolution of the current design, without a letter grade. The DOT and EPA are providing a 60-day public comment period and are seeking feedback from consumers on their website.

The proposed new window stickers could appear on new vehicles beginning in the 2012 model year.