Monroney sticker

Label contents

The Monroney sticker must be affixed to the side window or windshield by the manufacturer before shipment of new vehicles to the dealer for sale in the United States, and it can only be removed by the consumer (Chapter 28, Sections 1231–1233, Title 15 of the United States Code). A fine of up to US$1,000 per vehicle for each offense is authorized if the sticker is missing, and other fees and penalties are authorized if the sticker is altered illegally (including imprisonment).

The sticker must include the following information:

• Make, model, trim, and serial number
• The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP)
• Engine and transmission specifications
• Standard equipment and warranty details
• Optional equipment and pricing
• Transportation charges for shipment to the dealer

The statute has been amended to include:

• City and highway fuel economy ratings, as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• As of September 2007, crash test ratings as determined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Redesigned fuel economy label

The introduction of advanced-technology vehicles in the United States coincided with the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), which required new information to be incorporated into the Monroney label for new cars and light-duty trucks, such as ratings for fuel economy, greenhouse gas emissions, and other air pollutants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a series of studies to determine the best way to redesign this label to provide consumers with simple energy and environmental comparisons across all vehicles types, including battery electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), and conventional internal combustion engine vehicles powered by gasoline and diesel, to help consumers choose more efficient and environmentally-friendly vehicles.

As part of the research and redesign process, EPA conducted focus groups in which participants were presented with several options to model electricity consumption for plug-in electric vehicles. The research showed that participants did not understand the concept of a kilowatt hour as a measure of electric energy use, even though this is the unit used on their monthly electric bills. Instead, participants favored a miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent (MPGe), as the metric for comparison with the familiar miles per gallon used for gasoline vehicles. The research also concluded that the kW-hrs per 100 miles metric was more confusing for focus group participants than miles per kW-hr. Based on these results, EPA decided to use the following fuel economy and fuel consumption metrics on the redesigned labels: MPG (city and highway, and combined); MPGe (city and highway, and combined); Gallons per 100 miles; kW-hrs per 100 miles.

The proposed design and final content for two options of the new sticker label that will be introduced in 2013 model year cars and trucks were consulted for 60 days with the public in 2010. Both included miles per gallon equivalent and kW-hrs per 100 miles as the fuel economy metrics for plug-in cars, but in one option, MPGe and annual electricity cost are the two most prominent metrics. One of the design options had a letter grading system from A to D, and the rating would have compared a given vehicle's fuel economy and air pollution to those of the entire fleet of new cars. The letter grade system was opposed by carmakers and rejected after the public consultation. In November 2010, the EPA introduced MPGe as a comparison metric on its new sticker for fuel economy for the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt.

2013 fuel economy and environment label

In May 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the EPA issued a joint final rule establishing new requirements for a fuel economy and environmental label that will be mandatory for all new passenger cars and trucks starting with the 2013 model year. However, carmakers could adopt it voluntarily for the 2012 model year. The ruling includes new labels for alternative fuel and alternative propulsion vehicles available in the U.S. market, such as plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles, flexible-fuel vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, and natural gas vehicles. The common fuel economy metric adopted to allow the comparison of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles with conventional internal combustion engine vehicles is miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent (MPGe). A gallon of gasoline equivalent means the number of kilowatt-hours of electricity, cubic feet of compressed natural gas (CNG), or kilograms of hydrogen that is equal to the energy in a gallon of gasoline.

The new labels include, for the first time, an estimate of how much fuel or electricity it takes to drive 100 miles (160 km), providing U.S. consumers with fuel consumption per distance traveled, the efficiency metric commonly used in many other countries. EPA's objective is to avoid the traditional miles per gallon metric that can be potentially misleading when consumers compare fuel economy improvements, and this is known as the "MPG illusion."

Other information provided for the first time in the redesigned labels includes:

• Greenhouse gas ratings of how a model compares to all others for tailpipe emissions of carbon dioxide. A footnote-like note clarifies that upstream emissions from electricity generation are not included.
• Smog emissions ratings are based on air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulates.
• New ways to compare energy use and cost between new-technology cars that use electricity and conventional cars that are gasoline-powered.
• Estimates on how much typical consumers will save or spend on fuel over the next five years compared to the average new vehicle.
• Information on the driving range while running in all-electric mode and charging time for plug-in hybrids and electric cars.
• A QR Code that a smartphone can scan to allow users access to online information about how various models compare on fuel economy, the price of gasoline and electricity where the user lives, and other environmental and energy factors. This tool will also allow consumers to enter information about their typical commutes and driving behavior to get a more precise estimate of fuel costs and savings.

Typical labels for each fuel or advanced technology