EPA Fuel Economy Label
To help you buy a green car (one with high fuel economy and low CO2 emissions), the EPA Fuel Economy Label is now displayed on the windscreen of every new car.
To inform car buyers about vehicle fuel economy, all new cars, light trucks and sport utility vehicles manufactured since 1st September 2007 carry a window sticker showing the model's fuel economy as provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
New fuel economy labelReturn to top
The new window sticker (which replaces an earlier version) includes the fuel economy (expressed in miles-per-gallon) of a particular vehicle under city, highway and 'combined' driving conditions, how the compares to others vehicles within its class, an estimate of the model's annual cost.
The new sticker for models years 2008 onwards marks the introduction a revised method of determining a vehicle's fuel economy. As much as a 'test' can, the new method better represents the fuel economy of cars in real world driving conditions and now includes factors such as driving speed, hard acceleration, use of air conditioning and driving in cold temperatures.
The new EPA Fuel Economy Label includes the following information:
City MPG: The label shows the estimated CITY MPG at the top left. This figure can be used to compare fuel economy across different models under urban driving conditions. An expected range is also provided showing the likely range of real-world city fuel economy values "for most drivers".
Highway MPG: The label shows the estimated HIGHWAY MPG at the top right. This figure can be used to compare fuel economy across different models under highway driving conditions. An expected range is also provided showing the likely range of real-world highway fuel economy values "for most drivers".
Combined MPG: The label gives a COMBINED FUEL ECONOMY estimate, based on the city and highway values (bottom center); and shows how this particular model compares with others in its class (e.g. compact cars, minivans, etc).
Annual fuel cost: The label includes ESTIMATED ANNUAL FUEL COST based on a given number of miles and fuel price, also listed on the label.
Reminder: The label includes a reminder to drivers that the actual fuel economy for a particular model will depend on how the vehicle is driven and maintained.
Fuel economy label in detailReturn to top
For more informationReturn to top
For more information about the EPA Fuel Economy Label, visit: www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/
For a free copy of the latest DoE Fuel Economy Guide, visit: www.fueleconomy.gov