EPA Grapples With Hybrid Vehicle Complexity In New Fuel Economy Label

摘要

EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Aug. 30 unveiled a long-awaited proposal to change vehicle fuel economy labels to include plug-in hybrids and electric cars that also seeks to add a first-time letter grade to the label and makes major changes to the rating system for conventional vehicles. The proposal also includes a first-time rating of a vehicle's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.rnThe new labels - which will be displayed on the windows of new cars - will not take into account the so-called upstream GHG emissions and energy use associated with vehicles, such as GHGs produced by the electricity created for plug-in hybrids or petroleum refined for conventional vehicles' use. Instead, EPA will provide information on its website to allow consumers to estimate these emissions and costs.