The EPA’s Flawed 2013 Window Sticker

Automobile “window stickers” provide relevant information about new automobiles. They are affixed to every new car in every car showroom in the U.S. The window sticker is specified and designed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with support from the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Transportation (DOT); the logos of all three organizations are on the most recent sticker. The EPA and related agencies set the standards for car fuel-economy testing but do not do the actual testing of cars; this is done by the car manufacturers. Automakers are required to test one representative vehicle – typically a preproduction prototype – for each combination of loaded vehicle weight class, transmission class, and basic engine. EPA reviews the results and verifies a small number of the cars tested using their own tests at the National Vehicles and Fuel Emissions Laboratory.