Green Vehicle Indicators Offer Healthier and Cleaner Choices

New rules creating tighter restrictions on vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions means healthier and cleaner air quality standards for public health and the environment.

Vehicle related pollution has been linked to poor health outcomes, especially children, according to a study. Government regulations combined with public support of healthy transportation alternatives signals America is waking up to the reality of the need to address our primary concerns—the health & safety of human kind and our environment.

Joint rule between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) establishes a new national program consisting of GHG emissions and Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards. Beginning with model year 2012 for passenger cars and light trucks, these standards seek to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy by five percent, which is expected to reach 34.1 mpg by model year 2016.

Fuel economy labeling standards will be issued with 2012 vehicles as well.  EPA and DOT are requesting public comments to help decide on labeling standards that now include plug in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs). Two examples of the fuel economy labeling for new cars that the public can vote on provide visual aids for people to make informative choices based on the vehicle’s profile of fuel economy, GHG emissions, and smog forming pollutants.   Even an interactive QR® code, a bar code symbol that smart phones can read for further additional consumer information is part of the new labeling standard.

EPA’s latest helpful information, the Green Vehicle Guide is a resourceful search tool to explore vehicle options, including vehicle type, fuel type, by state and model year. 

Two classifications, called Smart Way and Smart Way Elite, designate the top 20% rated environmental performers to help select the greenest vehicles across all emission standards.  It is worthwhile to climb under the advanced search hood to look at stuff like fuel economy, but interesting data is available at the press of a button—the ability to compare up to three vehicles side by side across each of the emissions criteria, which the public will become more familiar and demanding as the emissions standard vehicles start filling up the lots in the next couple of years.

The new green vehicle standards for fuel economy, GHG emissions, and air pollution may even give us back the pure pleasure of car trips, a pleasant thought as it once was, and kick in behavioral modification for safe driving standards too.