Consumers need clearer information on vehicles’ fuel economy and potential real cost savings on lower fuel bills if purchasing decisions are to be influenced by environmental issues, says the FIA Foundation.
Despite requirements for a harmonised approach to labelling across the European Union, governments are introducing national schemes that vary in quality and often confuse consumers. According to some automobile dealers, labelling systems are so complicated that they are barely explainable to consumers. While fiscal measures and the Voluntary Agreement on fuel economy improvements between the European Commission and European, Japanese and Korean car makers show potential to achieve CO2 reductions, the third pillar of the EU’s strategy for reaching new car average CO2 emissions of 120g/km by 2010, consumer information, is not bearing fruit.
Speaking at a European seminar on Transport & the Kyoto Protocol, organised by the gasNatural Foundation and the Government of the Pais Vasco, in Bilbao, Spain, the FIA Foundation’s Technical Director, Frank van West, called for more transparent methods of showing fuel cost savings from purchasing cars with greater fuel economy, and recommended further work on promoting gear shift changes as a way to encourage greener driving. He argued that a harmonised fuel labelling system, simple and clear to consumers, is needed to support the EU’s consumer information strategy and to make the most of technical environmental improvements being achieved by car manufacturers.
Download CO2 presentation (Powerpoint - 3mb) >