Uncle Sam says new EPA window stickers will save money for car buyers

TAMPA - For three decades, car buyers gleaned little more than city and highway miles per gallon from the EPA sticker found on the windows of new cars.  Next year, the government is reinventing the wheel when it comes to touting fuel economy.

Not only will the new stickers give you your estimated MPG, it will also announce your estimated savings in fuel costs over 5 years as compared to average new vehicles. The EPA’s Stan Meiberg explains that the new stickers will also break down the car's annual fuel cost and just how much gas the vehicle will burn per 100 miles of city and highway driving. Information consumers can use to calculate costs and savings.

While some appreciate the details, others like Patty Cooper found the new stickers confusing.  “I think it is a little cluttered.  There is so much there.  I think basically we are all looking to see what is the city and highway per gallon.”

In another first, the EPA designed a different sticker for electric vehicles. Buyers will find the estimated range of a charge and the average cost per year of charging the vehicle as well as miles per gallon equivalent.

For consumers concerned about the size of their car's carbon footprint, the new labels will list both a greenhouse gas rating and a smog rating. More information that's never been there before.

For more information on the new stickers, visit epa.gov/carlabel or fueleconomy.gov/label