Emission impossible: Cars and trucks to be rated for environmental friendliness

Knowledge is power. It’s a cliché, sure, but that doesn’t make it any less true. More and more consumers in the US are willing and eager to reduce their environmental impact, and choose greener products or services. But that’s often easier said than done. Even if a business has implemented solid sustainable practices, it can be quite difficult to find out about the green credentials of its products, and that’s a shame. Giving customers this knowledge empowers them. It increases their trust in the company. And it can help them decide to purchase that product.

Take the motor industry for example. Over the last few years, car manufacturers have been investing millions of dollars into making cars more environmentally friendly. Of course, calling a car ‘environmentally friendly’ is like calling an elephant ‘elegant’, but even so, car manufacturers are on a mission to cut emissions. And they’ve made great strides.

More and more consumers are looking for cars with lower carbon footprints and it’s about to become much easier for them to make an informed decision. A new update to vehicle fuel economy labels is on the way. Starting with 2013 models, cars and light trucks will be rated according to how environmentally friendly they are.

Cars will get two ratings – one for greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide per mile), another for smog (chemicals like nitrogen oxide and formaldehyde) – and the scale goes from one to ten. The higher on the scale, the more environmentally friendly the vehicle is. It’s a solid, easy to understand system of measurement, and as more companies make use of it, it won’t be long before a someone claims their vehicle goes up to 11.

How successful the labels are remains to be seen, but we understand part of the philosophy behind them. It’s arming people with knowledge and encouraging them to think about environmental issues. But more importantly, it’s another step towards making it easier to be green. And that’s largely what The Refinishing Touch is all about too.