We know them from refrigerators or washing machines: energy labels that are intended to show how the device affects the environment. There is something similar for cars. Now it has been changed.
It should bring more transparency and thus lead to more conscious purchasing decisions: From Wednesday, a changed car label should provide potential buyers of new cars with better information about, among other things, the vehicle’s consumption and emissions. In order to achieve this goal, the regulation on energy consumption labeling for cars was adjusted in February. The regulations for the label will become mandatory from May. The most important questions and answers at a glance:
What kind of label is this and where can I find it?
According to the Federal Ministry of Economics, the label is a notice with specific consumption and emissions information that must be attached directly to the car on display when a new car is sold. If the new car is ordered over the Internet, the contents must be specified accordingly.
What does the label give me when buying a car?
Ideally, the label provides a better overview of the consumption and emissions of the potential new vehicle. According to the Federal Ministry of Economics, the more extensive information is intended to provide consumers with better information.
Was there a label like this before?
Yes, there was. Similar to household appliances, car dealerships have long had labels showing how much fuel a car – or in the case of an electric car, electricity – uses and how much CO2 it emits. This has already been shown in colored bars from green to red – so that vehicles can be compared with each other. However, the previous system was criticized. The ADAC had explained that the classification based on the vehicle’s unladen weight favors heavy cars. Small, fuel-efficient cars are often marked with red, while large cars with high fuel consumption are marked with green. This caused confusion and a correction to the regulation was unavoidable.
What is different than before?
Several things are new. Among other things, information on energy consumption and CO2 emissions is now based on the so-called WLTP test measurement procedure, which is intended to provide more realistic values. In addition, the weight of the vehicle no longer plays a role. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, a new classification is intended to prevent particularly large and heavy cars from being placed in a better CO2 class due to their weight than significantly lighter vehicles with the same level of emissions. In addition, a separate label will be introduced for each type of drive.
According to the ministry, plug-in hybrids have a double marking on the label: on the one hand, the class classification is stated in mixed operation, and on the other hand, the CO2 class in pure combustion operation. This means consumers should be able to assess energy efficiency even when the battery is discharged.
What is new, however, is further information on energy consumption, for example for four different driving modes: city center, outskirts, country road and motorway. This is intended to enable consumers to receive additional information based on their individual use. For fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids, the power consumption and electric range are also specified. The car label also provides information about the possible CO2 costs over the next ten years for an annual mileage of 15,000 kilometers.
What is the goal of the reformed label?
According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the aim of the amendment and thus also of the reformed label is that consumers can make the decision to buy a new car “with full knowledge” and choose the most efficient vehicle models possible. The reform should give car manufacturers further incentives to develop cars that are as efficient as possible and bring them onto the market. This is a further step towards a more sustainable and lower-emission transport sector. This is a problem child when it comes to climate protection – legal requirements were also missed last year.
Who checks whether the requirements are being met?
According to the Federal Ministry of Economics, the so-called market surveillance authorities of the states are responsible for checking that the requirements of the regulation on energy consumption labeling for cars are adhered to. This also includes the regulations for the car label. If they are not adhered to, the manufacturer or dealer may commit an administrative offense and have to pay a fine.
What does this all mean for used cars?
The labeling requirements specified in the regulation on energy consumption labeling for cars do not apply to used cars. However, the label can be used voluntarily – but then only with WLTP values, explained the Ministry of Economic Affairs. It is also important: If the label is used, it must also be made clear that it is a used car. A vehicle is always considered used if it was first registered for use on public roads at the time at which it was issued by the manufacturer or dealer or offered or advertised for purchase, long-term rental or leasing, or more than eight months ago or the mileage over 1000 kilometers.
Does the reformed label really bring anything?
Opinions differ on this. The ADAC considers the amendment to the regulation to be successful overall. This would make informed purchasing decisions in the interests of climate protection much easier. However, in the opinion of the ADAC, additional information on the total and actually usable battery capacity would have been useful for electric vehicles.
The Central Association of the German Motor Vehicle Industry (ZDK) is more critical of the reform. The new energy label no longer just includes consumption and emissions values. There would also be information on energy costs for an annual mileage of 15,000 kilometers, the amount of motor vehicle tax and possible CO2 costs over the next ten years for an annual mileage of 15,000 kilometers. There is a note on the label that these costs could be higher or lower. From the ZDK’s point of view, this does not contribute to clarification, but rather to confusion among consumers.
The transport policy spokesman for the German Transport Club (VCD), Michael Müller-Görnert, said that the new label has many improvements compared to the previous one, “because absolute CO2 emissions are now taken as the basis and there is no longer any reference to weight. That’s good, We welcome that.” Nevertheless, it is not enough with regard to climate protection. “So it’s not a real measure to achieve more climate protection in transport. What we really need are political, regulatory and price policy measures,” says Müller-Görnert.
Source: Stern
