In the face of an onslaught of advanced-tech vehicles coming out over the next year, the EPA has finally revealed the first versions of their revised fuel economy window labels. And they're looking for your feedback before the final labels are created.
As Autoblog Green reports,
The new designs will also show fuel/energy consumption for the first time in gallons per 100 miles and/or kilowatt-hours per 100 miles. Plug-in vehicles will also feature an mpg equivalent rating that converts electrical energy use to equivalent gasoline use. Plug-in hybrid vehicles will get two sets of mpg numbers, a composite/equivalent value corresponding to energy use when the battery is charged from the grid along with a separate rating for when the battery is depleted. Although it is not shown as a sample, a vehicle like the Chevrolet Volt which operates in electric only and gas only modes could potentially feature those two ratings in place of the gas + electric and gas only shown in the samples. The EPA has not yet replied to our request for a clarification on this question.
Review the labels over on the EPA's website and provide your comments within the next 60 days. This is the label that we'll probably all live with for the rest of our lives, so let's get it right.
EPA Fuel Economy Label website
via Autoblog Green
