New Fuel Economy Stickers to Help Consumers Make More Informed Decisions

To more clearly and fully convey fuel economy information to consumers, all new cars, light trucks, and SUVs produced after Sept. 1, 2007 will feature a newly re-designed window sticker. The new label will allow consumers to make more informed decisions by including the estimated annual cost for fueling the vehicle, how the vehicle’s fuel economy compares to others within its class, and a Web site to go to for more information.

“EPA’s updated fuel economy estimates will help Americans avoid sticker shock when filling up at the pump,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “By considering fuel use when shopping for new cars and trucks, consumers are in the driver’s seat to save money and protect our environment.”

The changes coincide with the adoption of new methods to determine the miles per gallon (MPG) estimates that appear on the stickers. The new methods, which took effect for model year 2008 vehicles, will bring MPG estimates closer to a vehicles actual fuel use by including factors such as driving at high speeds, accelerating aggressively, air conditioning use and driving in cold temperatures.

“From AAA’s perspective, it is about a simple truth: consumers want to know that the information they see on a government-sanctioned label reasonably reflects what they will experience on the road,” said Robert Darbelnet, president and CEO of AAA, which has more than 50 million members. “We believe that the new EPA labeling system will provide motorists a more realistic idea of their fuel performance. This is clearly a step in the right direction.”

Taking EPA’s fuel economy information into account when shopping for a vehicle can help consumers save money, as well as cut down on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.