From next month, cars in showrooms will have
to display a new Vehicular Emissions Label to help buyers make
informed decisions.
The label, issued jointly by the Land Transport
Authority and National Environment Agency, replaces the existing
Fuel Economy Label.
The change is in line with the new Vehicular Emissions
Scheme (VES), which takes effect on Jan 1 and replaces the existing
Carbon Emissions-Based Vehicle Scheme.
The VES assesses vehicles on four pollutants -
hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate
matter - plus carbon dioxide emissions.
The rebates or surcharges for a vehicle will be decided
by the worst-performing pollutant.
But all vehicles registered between Jan 1 and June 30
will be exempted from the particulate matter (PM) criterion to give
motor dealers more time to submit information on PM emissions for
assessment.
Consumers can use the Fuel Cost Calculator on the
One.Motoring website - which will include the VES bands of car
models approved for registration in Singapore on Jan 1 - to view
and compare the bands and indicative fuel efficiency of various car
models.
Transport economist Walter Theseira of the Singapore
University of Social Sciences believes the information on the label
can lead people to choose greener cars.
But financial incentives, such as rebates and
surcharges, are likely to have a greater influence over their
choice, he added.
TNP