U.S. car "report card" plan should flunk

In its infinite wisdom, the government believes it is necessary to assign report cards to all new cars to help consumers make educated decisions when buying. The report card the government is considering would rate the cars fuel economy, emissions, and impact on the environment. What this boils down to is the government rating cars based on their opinion of what should matter most to consumers in a brash attempt to pass their biased point of view on to those of us shopping for cars.

While the government claims that this new system of grades would help educate the consumer, they are neglecting the fact that there are already numerous consumer report websites and resources for car buyers. These resources provide detailed information about all aspects of the car, not just those qualities that the government wishes to promote. The information is already easily accessible; there is no need for a report card system to coerce consumers into buying environmentally friendly cars. If someone wishes to buy an economical car, they don't need an arbitrary, government issued, value based, grading system to point them in the right direction.

Read about all the details from the Wall Street Journal:

"The government proposed labeling each new passenger vehicle with a letter grade from A to D based on its fuel efficiency and emissions, part of a broader effort by the Obama administration to promote electric cars and other advanced-technology vehicles.

The proposed new rules, released jointly Monday by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department, would be the most substantial change in 30 years to the familiar price-and-mileage labels affixed to the windows of new cars at dealerships.

Currently, the labels must show how many miles per gallon a car gets and its estimated annual fuel cost. Under the proposed changes, a new label design would carry a large letter grade assigned by regulators.

Under the system, the only cars that would receive an A-plus, A or A-minus would be electrics and plug-in hybrids, the government said.

Many compact and midsize vehicles would get Bs, while bigger and more powerful models such as sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks would get Cs or C-minuses because they burn more petroleum and pump out more carbon dioxide, officials said.

"We think a new label is absolutely needed to help consumers make the right decision for their wallets and the environment," said Gina McCarthy, the EPA's assistant administrator for air and radiation. She said the rules are designed to reflect major advances in car technology.

Environmental groups generally cheered the proposal, which they said would make consumers more aware of the environmental impact of cars.

But the proposed changes —which come as the Obama administration enforces stringent new rules to boost overall fuel economy—were criticized by the car industry, which said the government would be crossing the line between requiring responsible advertising and making value judgments about vehicles."