Window Sticker

Fuel economy is always a hot topic, because it factors into so many other issues: climate change and the environment, the viability of the auto industry, and the nation's dependence on foreign oil and those inherent national security implications.

Last week at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit, we spoke with Dr. Pete Savagian of General Motors about what the Chevrolet Volt's fuel economy sticker would look like. Last summer former GM CEO Fritz Henderson made a big splash when he announced that the Volt was getting Sam Abuelsamid

Apparently, there have been some two million vehicle registration stickers and another 2.5 million inspection stickers issued this year in New York. No great shakes there – except for the fact that the stickers aren't living up to their names, as they are refusing to securely affix themselves to car windshields. This, as you might imagine, is a bit of a problem since citations for a missing or improperly stuck sticker can cost up to $100.

For the first time in more than 20 years, the US Government is changing the way they calculate the estimated fuel mileage on window stickers. The changes will be seen starting with 2008 model year cars in the form of a newly styled window sticker and a new test procedure to better reflect the actual mileage customers can hope to achieve.