A new colour-coded environment label for all new cars began to appear in new car ...

A new colour-coded environment label for all new cars began to appear in new car showrooms in the UK on 1 July 2005. The nationwide roll-out started in Guildford, Surrey, and is scheduled to be completed by the September new registration deadline. The consumer-friendly label is designed to help car buyers assess the climate change impacts of different cars. The label will also show how car buyers can cut their running costs if they buy a lower carbon car. (See Petroleum Review, April 2005 for more information). The new fuel economy label is intended to be familiar to consumers as it mirrors important aspects of the design and colour-coding of the energy efficiency labels that now appear on most 'white goods', such as refrigerators. The gradations on the label are also consistent with the CO2 (carbon dioxide) bandings used for vehicle excise duty ('road tax') to ensure that the environmental message is backed up by a clear fiscal signal: lower carbon emissions = lower road tax.