What's New About the EPA Labels
Click the image for a full-size view of the label.In addition to the stats for highway, city and combined fuel economy ratings, the new label will display the (average) amount of fuel or electricity needed to drive 100 miles. Labels also include insight into the amount of money you could save (or lose) over five years of driving compared to the average new vehicle (based on driving 15,000 miles per year and paying $3.70 per gallon of gas).
Another section of the EPA sticker discloses how each auto ranks in fuel economy and emissions when compared to other vehicles in its class. If the auto is a hybrid or electric vehicle, you'll find a section listing average driving range as well as average charging time (for plug-in electric autos).
The EPA's label will be released in sync with the revised Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rating -- the average miles per gallon each manufacturer is expected to achieve. The average is determined by multiplying the total of each model sold times its fuel economy rating, adding the results together and then dividing that number by the total of all vehicles sold by the automaker.
Here's an Example:
- Ford sells 100 Fusions per year with a MPG rating of 32 (100 X 32 = 3200)
- Ford sells 300 Mustangs per year with an average rating of 27 MPG (300 X 27 = 8100)
- Ford sells 200 Taurus models with an average MPG of 30 (200 X 30 = 6000)
- 3200 + 8100 + 6000 = 17,300 -- divided by 600 units sold = a 28.8 CAFE rating
By 2016, auto manufacturers will be required to have a CAFE average of 34.4 MPG. We can hope that pickup truck fuel economy continues to improve, but selling loads of small cars with good ratings will boost everyone's overall score, and that will either keep automakers from fooling too much with trucks, or give them more time to develop better gas-saving technologies.
A word of caution -- EPA window stickers can help us compare vehicles, but they (still) will not offer accurate fuel economy specs. The government tests trucks and other autos in a controlled environment -- your mileage will more than likely differ.
