LowCVP survey: Most car buyers aware of fuel economy label for the first time - scheme to be extended to nearly new cars
Mon 08 June 2009
View all news
A majority of new car buyers are now aware of the colour-coded fuel economy label introduced in showrooms in 2005.
The colour-coded fuel economy label was introduced to help car buyers make more informed decisions about their vehicle choice. It makes clear and explicit the link between lower emissions and lower running costs. Introduced as a voluntary initiative, brokered by the LowCVP the label is displayed by over 90% of new car dealerships. A survey conducted for the LowCVP has shown that 54% of car buyers are now aware of the label.
The results of the survey are being announced to day at the LowCVP’s annual conference at City Hall, London. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and the Secretary of State for Transport are expected to speak at the event.
The LowCVP’s Deputy Director, Jonathan Murray, said: “With fuel prices rising and road and vehicle taxes now based on car emissions, drivers have much to gain by choosing the lowest carbon, lowest cost models.”
When asked how important the label was in helping them choose the make and model of car, 71% of car buyers who were aware of the label said that it was important. The most valuable information elements are the cost of running the vehicle for a year (assumed to be 12,000 miles), fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The survey showed that the traditional sources of information for car buyers are changing. Both the car showroom and friends and family are becoming less important to car buyers while internet sources are becoming more popular.
However, it is clear that there is room for improvement on the label. 81% of car buyers said that they would like to be provided with better comparative data between cars of a similar size.
In a related development, the LowCVP has announced that the labelling scheme is to be extended to include nearly-new vehicles. From October, all vehicles in participating dealerships selling nearly-new vehicles will be able to download labels without charge from the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) website. The LowCVP, working with the SMMT, Retail Motor Industry Federation and Department for Transport has brokered the arrangement. By this time next year it is hoped 1200 dealers will have signed up and will be displaying labels on all vehicles at least up to two-years old (older at the dealers’ discretion).
The LowCVP Managing Director Greg Archer said: “This will enable a wider range of car buyers to obtain information about the efficiency and running costs of cars. Despite difficult economic times the motor industry remains committed to improving consumer information.”
For the full LowCVP press release, please follow the associated link.
Related Links
< Back to news list