California creates global warming rating for cars

California is now making car buyers even more aware of how their car affects the environment in 2009. All new car models will bear an Environmental Performance sticker that rates the car based on smog and global warming emissions.

California cars have carried the smog rating since 1998, but the new global warming rating is part of a bill that was signed into law in 2005. With both ratings, the higher the score on a scale of 1 to 10, the more environmentally friendly the car.

The global warming rating is based on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per mile. A score of 1 equals 520 CO2 grams per mile while a score of 10 equals less than 200 CO2 grams per mile. The emission calculations include production and distribution of the fuel used in the car.

For those of us outside of California, the smog scores are available at www.driveclean.ca.gov with the global warming scores to be added. Hybrids and electrics, as would be assumed, are the top scoring vehicles listed.

Having information like this listed right on a product will definitely make a difference in how consumers purchase cars. Making these scores readily available makes it impossible for consumers to make an uninformed decision.

via Earth2Tech