The Environmental label explained

A description of the environmental label that now appears on all new cars offered for sale is as follows:

The label is an A4 sheet separated into eight sections of information.

Section 1

The first section shows the title of the label: "Fuel Economy". To the far right of the section the words "VED Band and CO2" are displayed.

Section 2

Here graphical representations of the CO2 bands (A to M) are shown on 7 colour coded bands (numbered 1 to 7 for the purposes of this explanation). To the right of the colour coded bands, a black arrow area is displayed adjacent to the CO2 colour band that applies to the car on display. Written in white text on the arrow, the tax band letter and the CO2 (in grammes per kilometre) that applies to the car on display is shown.

The colour coded bands are set out as follows:

1. A dark green band with the symbol less than or equal to and the number 100, followed by the letter A
2. A lighter green band with the numbers 101 to 110 and the letter B. Directly below this on the same band, the numbers 111-120 with the letter C.
3. A yellow â€“ green band with the numbers 121 to 130 and the letter D; directly below this on the same band, the numbers 131-140 with the letter E.
4. A yellow band with the numbers 141 to 150 and the letter F; directly below this on the same band, the numbers 151-165 with the letter G.
5. A light orange band with the numbers 166 to 175 and the letter H; directly below this on the same band, the numbers 176-185 with the letter I.
6. A darker orange band with the numbers 186 to 200 and the letter J; directly below this on the same band, the numbers 201-225 with the letter K.
7. A red band with the numbers 226 to 255 and the letter L; directly below this on the same band, the number 226 and plus sign, with the letter M.

Section 3

This section of the label shows the estimated fuel cost of the car on display, and the expected VED (car tax) payable. The title reads as follows: "Fuel cost (estimated) for 12,000 miles". The text reads: "A fuel cost figure indicates to the consumer a guide price for comparison purposes. This figure is calculated by using the combined drive cycle (town centre and motorway) and average fuel price. Re-calculated annually, the cost per litre as at Mar 2011 is as follows - petrol 133p, diesel 139p, LPG 77p". The figure for the car on display will be shown to the right of this text.

The second title in this section is entitled "VED for 12 months". Text reads "Vehicle excise duty (VED) or road tax varies according to the CO2 emissions and fuel type of the vehicle". To the right of this text, figures for both the first year and standard rate of tax will be displayed. Footnotes explaining what these are can be found in small font at the bottom of the label and read as follows:

"* A new 1st year VED rate will be applied to vehicles registered for the first time on or after April 2010;"
"** The standard 12 month VED rate for all registered cars in this band is shown for the purposes of comparison. Note, figures quoted reflect the current rate only, and may be subject to change
in the future."

Section four

Text, entitled "Environmental Information", reads as follows: "A guide on fuel economy and CO2 emissions which contains data for all new passenger car models is available at any point of sale free of charge. In addition to the fuel efficiency of a car, driving behaviour as well as other non-technical factors play a role in determining a car's fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. CO2 is the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming."

Section five

This section sets out information about the car on display, specifically:
Make and Model;
Engine capacity;
Fuel Type;
Transmission.

Section six

Section six is entitled "Fuel Consumption" and shows the recorded figures for the car being displayed. The data is set out in three rows and two columns showing both imperial and metric figures for all three drive cycles.
Column 1 is entitled "Drive Cycle", column 2 - "Litres/100 km;" column 3 - "MPG".
Under "Drive Cycle" on row 1, the word "urban";
On row 2 the word "Extra-urban"
On row 3 the word "Combined"

Section 7

Here the carbon dioxide emissions figures for the car on display are shown. The words "Carbon Dioxide emissions (g/km)" are shown to the left of the space reserved for the data on that particular car.

On the next row, the following text: Important note: Some specifications of this make/model may have lower CO2 emissions than this. Check with your dealer.

Section 8

On the far left the Department for Transport logo is displayed; in the centre area, the following text: "To compare fuel costs and CO2 emissions of new cars, visit www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk". The VCA logo is shown on the far right.