BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - It should bring more transparency and thus also lead to more conscious purchasing decisions: From Wednesday, a modified car label is to provide potential buyers of new cars with better information about the vehicle's fuel consumption and emissions, among other things. In order to achieve this goal, the regulation on energy consumption labeling for passenger cars was already amended in February. The regulations on the label will become mandatory from May. The most important questions and answers at a glance:

What is the label and where can I find it?

According to the Federal Ministry of Economics, the label is a notice with specific consumption and emission data that must be attached directly to the car on display when a new car is sold. If the new car is ordered via the Internet, the content must be indicated accordingly.

What are the benefits of the label when buying a car?

Ideally, the label provides a better overview of the consumption and emissions of the potential new vehicle. According to the Federal Ministry of Economics, the more comprehensive information is intended to provide consumers with better information.

Did such a label already exist before?

Yes, there was. Similar to household appliances, car dealerships have long been labeling how much fuel a car - or electricity in the case of an electric car - consumes and how much CO2 it emits. This has also been shown in colored bars from green to red in order to compare vehicles with each other. However, the previous system was criticized. The ADAC explained that the classification based on unladen vehicle weight favored heavy cars. Low-consumption small cars were often labeled red, while large cars with high consumption were labeled green. This creates confusion and a correction of the regulation was unavoidable.

What is different than before?

Several things are new. Among other things, information on energy consumption and CO2 emissions is now based on the so-called WLTP test measurement procedure, which is intended to provide more realistic values. In addition, the weight of the vehicle no longer plays a role. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, a new classification is intended to prevent particularly large and heavy cars from being assigned to a better CO2 class due to their weight than significantly lighter vehicles with the same level of emissions. A separate label will also be introduced for each type of drive.

According to the ministry, plug-in hybrids will have a double marking on the label: on the one hand, the class classification in mixed operation will be indicated, and on the other hand, the CO2 class in pure combustion operation. This should enable consumers to assess the energy efficiency even when the battery is discharged.

However, additional information on energy consumption is new, for example for four different driving modes: city center, suburban, country road and highway. This should provide consumers with additional information according to their individual use. For fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids, the power consumption and electric range are also indicated. The car label also provides information on the possible CO2 costs over the next ten years based on an annual mileage of 15,000 kilometers.

What is the aim of the reformed label?

According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the aim of the amendment and thus also of the reformed label is to enable consumers to make an "informed" decision when buying a new car and to choose the most efficient vehicle models possible. The reform should provide further incentives for car manufacturers to develop the most efficient cars possible and bring them onto the market. This is a further step towards a more sustainable and lower-emission transport sector. This is a problem child when it comes to climate protection - legal requirements were also missed last year.

Who checks whether the targets are being met?

According to the Federal Ministry of Economics, the so-called market surveillance authorities of the federal states are responsible for checking that the requirements of the ordinance on energy consumption labeling for passenger cars are being met. This also includes the regulations on the car label. If they are not complied with, manufacturers or dealers may commit an administrative offense and have to pay a fine.

What does all this mean for used cars?

The labeling obligations specified in the regulation on energy consumption labeling for passenger cars do not apply to used cars. However, the label can be used voluntarily - but then only with WLTP values, explained the Ministry of Economic Affairs. It is also important to note that if the label is used, it must also be made clear that it is a used car. A vehicle is always considered used if it was first registered for use in public road traffic more than eight months ago at the time it was issued by the manufacturer or dealer or offered or advertised for sale, long-term rental or leasing, or if it has a mileage of more than 1000 kilometers.

Does the reformed label really help?

Opinions differ on this. The ADAC considers the amendment to the regulation to be a success overall. It would make informed purchasing decisions much easier in the interests of climate protection. However, in the case of electric vehicles, the ADAC believes it would have been useful to include information on the total and actual usable battery capacity.

The German Association of the Motor Trade (ZDK) is more critical of the reform. The new energy label no longer only includes consumption and emission values. It also includes information on energy costs for an annual mileage of 15,000 kilometers, the level of vehicle tax and possible CO2 costs over the next ten years for an annual mileage of 15,000 kilometers. The label also states that these costs could also be higher or lower. In the view of the ZDK, this does not contribute to clarification, but rather to consumer confusion.

Michael Müller-Gornert, transport policy spokesman for Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD), said that the new label has many improvements over the previous one, "because the absolute CO2 emissions are now taken as the basis and there is no longer any reference to weight. That's good, we welcome that." Nevertheless, it is not enough in terms of climate protection. "So it is not a real measure to achieve more climate protection in transport. We really need political, regulatory and pricing measures," says Müller-Gornert.