Jan. 9, 2015—Steven Schillinger, administrator for the National Green Garage Challenge campaign, announced on Thursday that a group of industry professionals has convened to develop guidelines for the vehicle service and repair industries to implement the new U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fuel Economy rating standards.
In connection with achieving its mission, the working group will take into consideration the different types of automotive businesses that are affected by the vehicle rating system, including auto dealerships, parts distributors, collision shops, and tire, lube and mechanical centers, among others. The committee will consider a variety of options, including but not limited to accreditation, accessibility and transparency guidelines, uniformity in terminology and nomenclature, and recommendations on how to inform consumers of measurement methods, according to a release.
When exploring consumer protection and disclosure requirements, committee members will focus on several areas, including presentation, consumer comprehension, and methodology of employee training and testing procedures.
“Many shop owners today are struggling with countless new regulation and often do not know which rules are important or relevant to their business,” said Tom Piippo, owner of Tri County Motors. “Most successful businesses are based on training and we are excited to participate in this initiative to develop a green service standard learning solution.”
The EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) unveiled the most dramatic overhaul to vehicle fuel economy labels (window stickers) since they were introduced more than 35 years ago.
Car buyers can access vehicle performance information dating back to 1984—including fuel economy, fuel costs, and environmental impacts such as smog and greenhouse gas ratings—for all vehicles, including advanced technologies such as electric cars and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). at fueleconomy.gov
“Consumers have the ability to compare a cars original manufacturer’s gas mileage and emissions rating. As the public becomes more aware of efficiency standards for vehicles, shop owners need to be knowledgeable about what is important to the consumer,” Jeff Peevy, I-CAR’s senior director of field operations and segment development and committee member, said in a release.
As part the Green Services Standard project to inform the automotive aftermarket on topics related to the guidelines, an independent website, greenservicestandard.com, has been created to provide the an information hub focused on the development and progression of the standard. The website includes details pertaining to the background and purpose of the initiative; progress being made by the committees; next steps; and other regulatory and educational information.
