CO2 labelling of cars

The authors find that while all EU Member States have implemented car labeling schemes, they lack uniformity in design and metrics, and often underrate yearly fuel costs by several hundred euro per car. They recommend adopting a uniform label based on the EU energy label, using data that reflects real-world consumer observations, and implementing a scale that differentiates between hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

• Although all EU Member States have formally established national car labeling schemes, the presentation of information to consumers is not uniform, with only 13 Member States using graphic labels that vary in design, metrics, and vehicle classification.
• Current fuel consumption data provided to consumers underestimates the actual yearly fuel costs by several hundred euro per vehicle.
• To increase effectiveness and consumer recognition, the authors suggest three improvements: adopting a uniform label similar to the EU energy label, using metrics that reflect actual observed fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, and creating a scale to distinguish between efficient hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2016). CO2 labelling of cars. https://www.sei.org/publications/co2-labelling-of-cars/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. CO2 labelling of cars. 2016. https://www.sei.org/publications/co2-labelling-of-cars/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=CO2 labelling of cars |date=24 May 2016 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/co2-labelling-of-cars/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2016co2, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{CO2 labelling of cars}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2016}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/co2-labelling-of-cars/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }