Encouraging motorists to buy more environmentally friendly cars with lower emissions is critical in tackling climate change and improving air quality. However, environmental concerns are usually not at the top of purchaser’s agenda when choosing a new car.
To help change this, we therefore need to ensure consumers are provided with the right ‘environmental’ information at the right time to make an informed purchasing decision. This is the purpose of the ‘environmental label’.
Since 2007 this has legally been required to be displayed next to every new car on show at UK dealerships. The design of the label is critical in achieving this and helping drivers choose the most suitable car for them, reduce their running costs and benefit the environment. However, the same basic design has been used since 2007, which has evolved to include additional voluntary information. This has resulted in a cluttered and confusing label, which now needs to be updated. ( See background on the original fuel economy label)
To be effective, this label needs to stand-out and engage consumers in a busy showroom environment – where they are often more interested in the features and performance of the car rather than its environmental impact.
These new versions of the labels will be rolled out in car showrooms from the 1st April 2020.