Proposed New EPA Fuel Economy Label For BEVs
In a effort to join this millennium, the EPA has finally got around to producing new labels for electric vehicles (like the Nissan LEAF). extended range vehicles (like the Volt), and fuel cell vehicles (like the…uh, whatever)
These new labels come in one of two possible configurations, and the EPA would like your opinion on the better choice—because as I envision the lady from the EPA as saying in the promotional video they released today, “its wicked hawd to design new cawr labels” (vid below w/Boston accent goodness)
One of the two fuel label choices has been updated/modernized from what we are used to seeing, and gives the vehicle a overall grade, as well as the standard information deemed necessary to make a informed car buying decision.
For electric vehicles, the new labels will estimate the expected savings in cost over five years as compared to a regular vehicle (hint: its wicked high). It will also give statistics such as range, estimated charge time, kWh used per 100 miles, and a MPGe estimate on both the highway and the city…as well as expected cost to operate. (See alternate label for EVs here)
For extended range vehicles, it will still give the range on electric power, the MPG equivalent, charge time and cost per year; but as well give your classic MPG in extended range. Then it blends the whole thing into a MPGe equivalent as well. (See alternate EREV/Plug-In label below, as well as this new letter grade example here)
/wicked awesome
(Source: EPA, full report in PDF here)
Proposed New CPA Fuel Economy Label For Extended Range EVs
Statik, your correct the spokesperson is from New England. Her accent is music to my ears . This proposed chage is a big improvement stanley
Stan Stein(Quote)
It is a long time coming. For the most part I think they have it right. They still take it a leap to far with the MPG equivalents, but they are giving out all the necessary information. Range, kWh/100 miles, extended range fuel economy (if we are talking about a Volt), etc.
We still need specifics on the blending and other little things, but it is a good start
Jay (Statik) Cole(Quote)
Excellent news!!! I like what they have done!!!
Wonder how the blended is done?
They can not choose a set distance cause the comparisons will not work anymore. If they choose 50m, that makes the Volt like 200mpg, but the Prius PlugIn something like 80mpg, but the Fisker infinite because it has a 50 mile range. The two types of travel seperate would have been fine.
Steve(Quote)
I guess it’s better than nothing, but, I can’t see using mpge to extend that old moniker to modern vehicles. I guess they need something to also keep CAFE going.
The entire CAFE and mpg thing needs to be wicked-thrown-away.
Just put an upper limit on energy usage and call it quits. An ‘average’ allows too much wiggle room for the car companies.
Compact = $300 usage per year
Midsize = $500 usage per year
Fullsize = $800 usage per year
Light Truck = $1200 usage per year
Luxury/other = unlimited (but the vehicle has a $30k guzzler tax slapped on the purchase price)
done.
If costs per gallon or cost per kwh or cost per x-fuel-unit goes up, guess what, you can’t use as much energy (by dollars) this year. Your new car, Mr. Manufacturer, needs to be calibrated to use less energy to get certified. Or, you might need to change the mix in a hybrid.
done and done.
Loboc(Quote)
Polar Bear is working his way south to HUG first Leaf Owner…
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2010/08/30/mb-polar-bear-shamattawa-manitoba.html
demetrius(Quote)
I think you are right that for the most part less is more. We don’t need averages against other cars. Also, the price of gas fluctuates pretty wildly, and electric prices are very regional, so try to dollar cost things accurately is a pretty unreasonable expectation.
Jay (Statik) Cole(Quote)
I see what you did there.
Jay (Statik) Cole(Quote)
So if I am paying .0663 cents per kWh then I need to multiply that by 34 kWh to get 100 miles. .0663 x 34 = $2.2576 per 100 miles
I drive 15,000 per year (divide by 100) so that would be 150 x $2.2576 = $338.64 per year
That was too easy?
James(Quote)
Huge dissapointment.
Focusing on just the BEV label, there’s a LOT of information that they could get out in regards to the vehicles efficiency and range. But look at the label. Over 75% of the thing is taken up by the stupid ABC grading and then they go into dollars and cents (which can swing a LOT depending so many factors — so why bother?). And to make it even worse, they convert the thing over to mpg when the car will never even use a gallon of anything except windshield washer fluid!!!!
What use is this label to me as a car buyer really ???
Almost useless.
Carcus(Quote)
Appreciate the new labels giving all the facts and information before the Leaf and other cars get out, but do notneed the government doing estimates for me about the cost to operate, unless the epa is going to calculate the cost of gas and the cost of electricity in my home town and make the dealers change the stickers in the windows once a week so the data does not go bad.
RicksEV(Quote)
I put a link to the new-style of the proposed labels, so I could show both the BEV and EREV (and because the new BEV labels are so bloody long), but I will attach it here in the comments so people can have a looksie:
Jay (Statik) Cole(Quote)
Anything you do is going to be confusing to some people. Now I am not as sure as I was at first that the EPA is on the right track. I think the label for an electric vehicle seems much clearer than one for a vehicle like the Volt. I just don’t know, but for me it doesn’t make any difference because I am well versed on both the Leaf and the Volt and the label the EPA puts on either one will not sway my decision. But for others……..
N Riley(Quote)
This is just like appliances that we buy. They do an average cost of elect.
James(Quote)
For a car like the volt there are so many factors that go into the calculation. If somebody charges the car as much as possible, they might never drive 1 mile on gas compared to the people who would drive some miles daily using gas. The spectrum is wide open for this type of car. But for the LEAF with only one fuel source it’s pretty easy to gauge how much it will cost to operate on a yearly basis and compare that to other vehicles, ICE powered ones included. And the current prices don’t matter as you the EPA sticker will use the same cost estimate for the entire year. Sort of like going to Sears and seeing which fridge will cost me less to use for the year. Except the car stickers need to be published on the web so we can conveniently compare cars. The only downside is if electricity rates and gas rates don’t vary by the same margin for each region. This could skew the numbers in favor of an ICE or a BEV.
garrytman(Quote)
I think that the information presented by the labels is misleading. It’ like the old saying “can’t see the forest for the trees”, and this label is showing a tree. When one steps back and looks at the forest, one recognizes that:
1. While the car may be putting out zero emissions, the power plants that generated the electricity that went into the car’s battery put out a lot of emissions. Less emissions than burning the equivalent amount of gasoline, but a substantial amount of emissions are created to charge the BEV batteries.
2. Similarly, the MPG-equivalent is based on the amount of energy in a kwHr of electricity, but on average that’s only 1/3 of the energy that was in the fuel burned to make the electricity. The other 2/3 went into the air and water in the form of heat. If you look at BTUs of fuel, gasoline burned in the car v. coal, natural gas, and uranium used to generate the electricity for the car, you get about 50 MPG.
And don’t tell me that electric cars are going to be powered by solar and wind – those sources are presently generate less than 5% of our electricity. The percentage will grow with time, but recognize also how those sources work and how the electric system itself works. When someone turns on a light, or plugs in an electric car, solar panels and wind turbines do not – cannot – increase output to serve the increased load. Coal and natural gas fired plants increase their output to serve the increased load.
JEff(Quote)
—
Too bad for Lance
rvd(Quote)
Note to self — sometimes the obvious can escape the less than subtle mind. Here’s the deal Jeff: Gas comes from places like Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Russia, and Iran. Natural gas and electricity come from places like the United States. IOW a BTU you need to get from Pennsylvania is not remotely equivalent to a BTU you have to get from Iran.
Since this more or less ends the discussion, no need to point out that natural gas power plants operating at 60% efficiency are considerably more efficient than a gasoline engine operating at 25% efficiency. Put a different way, you’re comparing the historical efficiency of the electrical grid with the efficiency of tomorrow’s ICE.
DonC(Quote)
I hate those sliders with worst/best cases. We do they come from? E.g. Leaf has 98 combined, fine, but who the hell has 103? tesla?
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rvd(Quote)
6.63 c/kWh? good for you, I am in MA paying more like 24 c/kWh
and with more EVs coming that price can only go up, all the way to gasoline cost
negating any future EV fuel benefits
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rvd(Quote)
Yes, but I will be able to enjoy cheap transportation costs for a while. Hopefully solar pricing will drop before elect cost go up.
James(Quote)
If you’re saying that it’s better to consume domestic energy resources that import the energy from somewhere else in the world, I agree.
JEff(Quote)
Why do they have to come up with “MPG equivalent”. That’s silly, especially for electric cars.
There’s already a unit that exists to measure energy consumption: it’s called kWh (or kW-hrs like the EPA writes it). That can be applied to any energy source (gas, hydrogen, whatever).
Gwido(Quote)