FUEL
Ref. Ares(2018)3240186 - 19/06/2018
LABELLING
FOR ROAD
VEHICLES
INFORMATION FOR OPERATORS
GENERAL BACKGROUND
European Union (EU) Directive 2014/94/EU of the European The Directive provides for the deployment of a new unique and
Parliament and of the Council (the ‘co-legislators’) addresses the harmonised set of fuel labels. These labels will appear:
EU-wide deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure. This Direc-
• On newly produced vehicles in the immediate proximity of the
tive addresses Europe’s future needs for providing wider access
fuel filler flap/cap, and in the vehicle owner’s manual. In the
to ‘alternative fuels’ and includes a requirement for new vehicles
case of newer vehicles, they may also appear in the electronic
and all fuel pumps/recharging stations to be labelled in order to
handbook available via a vehicle’s infotainment centre;
enable vehicle drivers to better select the fuel that their vehicle • At all public refuelling stations on the fuel-dispensing unit, and
can properly use.
on the filler nozzle of the fuel dispenser;
Though this information is currently provided in all vehicle • At vehicle dealerships.
handbooks and around the fuel filler cap/flap of most vehicles, it
was so far not harmonised across Europe.
WHO HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING THESE NEW LABELS?
A specific task force under the CEN (European Committee for The participants of the task force included experts from the EU
Standardisation) Technical Committee 441 (TC441) worked on vehicle and fuel industries, NGOs representing consumers, na-
the design and format of new labels to comply with the general tional standard bodies, a number of EU governments and the Eu-
prescriptions of Directive 2014/94/EU.
ropean Commission. Standard EN16942 describes the technical
design and size of the new labels.
WHICH VEHICLES ARE CONCERNED BY THIS LABELLING REQUIREMENT?
The labels will appear on the following newly produced vehicles:
• Light commercial vehicles;
• Mopeds, motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles;
• Heavy-duty commercial vehicles;
• Passenger cars;
• Buses and coaches.
ARE ALL VEHICLES CONCERNED?
WHERE TO FIND THE LABELS
ON VEHICLES?
The legislation requires the labels only for new vehicles placed
on the market for the first time or registered as of 12 October
The labels are visible on newly produced vehicles in the imme-
2018.
diate proximity of the fuel filler flap/cap.
Vehicle manufacturers do not recommend fitting the labels to
Information on fuel compatibility and related labels will also be
older vehicles. Please contact your local dealer if you need ad-
found in the vehicle owner’s manual.
vice on which fuel is recommended for use in your vehicle.
WHEN WILL THESE LABELS
WHERE TO FIND THE LABELS
BE VISIBLE
AT REFUELLING POINTS?
IN THE EU MEMBER STATES?
The labels are placed on the fuel nozzle and the body of the
The label will be placed on newly-produced vehicles and on
fuel dispenser. The labels on the nozzle and the dispenser are
petrol-type, diesel-type, hydrogen (H2), compressed natural
of the same design as those found on the vehicles and in the
gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum
vehicle manual – but of a different minimum size. Additional
gas (LPG) filling pumps in all European Union public fuel filling
information may be included on the label at refuelling points,
stations, in a clear and visible manner for consumers, as of 12
according to national requirements and in the local language.
October 2018.
Since this is a compliance date, vehicle manufacturers and fil-
ling station operators will start to introduce these labels over a
transitional period prior to that date. Some vehicle manufactu-
HOW DO THE LABELS WORK?
rers have already started adding the labels on recently intro-
duced models, others will start to introduce the labels on their
The label is simply a visual tool to help consumers verify that
vehicles as we move forward.
they correctly select the appropriate fuel for their vehicle. The
Operators of public refuelling stations will also plan to add the
consumer needs to match the label of their vehicle with the
labels to fuel pumps towards that date.
corresponding label on the fuel pump.
WHAT DO THE LABELS LOOK LIKE?
There are specific label designs for petrol – type fuels, diesel-type fuels,
and gaseous-type fuels (e.g. CNG, LNG, LPG and hydrogen):
PETROL TYPE OF FUEL
DIESEL TYPE OF FUEL
GASEOUS FUEL
WHAT IS THE ACTUAL MEANING OF THE LABEL?
The fuel labels consist of:
•
A SQUARE IS ALSO USED FOR “XTL” which is a type
(a) A unique identifying shape for the type of fuel;
of paraffinic diesel fuel manufactured from renewable or fossil
(b) Information inside the identifying shape on the maximum
material that provides a diesel fuel by synthesis or hydrotreat-
biofuel content in the fuel that is recommended for use by the
ment that is quite similar in composition to traditional fossil
vehicle that is equipped with the new label.
diesel fuel. The applicable CEN standard for XTL is EN15940.
It was decided to keep the shapes as well as the information
Here, “XTL” means a paraffinic diesel fuel used a neat fuel.
inside the shape as simple as possible. Therefore, CEN standard
The standard EN15940 allows the incorporation of up to 7%
EN16942 adopted:
fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) into a paraffinic diesel fuel.
•
A CIRCLE FOR PETROL. The information inside the shape
•
A DIAMOND FOR GASEOUS FUELS. The information
on the bio-content of petrol is designated as “Exx”. “E” stands
inside the shape will indicate if the vehicle can be refilled with
for ‘ethanol’ and “xx” is the maximum amount of ethanol that
hydrogen (“H2”), compressed natural gas (“CNG”), liquefied
the vehicle is recommended to use and that would be corres-
natural gas (“LNG”) or liquefied petroleum gas (“LPG”).
pondingly available at the fuel filler pump. In the above figure,
“E5” means the vehicle can use petrol containing up to 5%
ethanol, and “E10” means the vehicle can use petrol contai-
ning up to 10% ethanol. The “E” for “ethanol” is a ‘short-hand’
way of showing the petrol can contain ethanol and/or other
oxygenates up to a maximum amount.
•
A SQUARE FOR DIESEL. The information inside the shape
on the bio-content of diesel is designated as “Bxx”. “B” stands
for bio-diesel and ‘xx’ is the maximum amount of bio-diesel the
vehicle is recommended to use and would be correspondingly
available at the fuel filler pump. In the above figure, “B7”
means the vehicle can use diesel containing up to 7% bio-die-
ARE THE LABELS USED
sel, and “B10” means the vehicle can use diesel containing
up to 10% bio-diesel. The “B” for “bio-diesel” is a ‘short-hand’
FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE
way of showing the diesel can contain bio-diesel in the form of
THAN FUEL-VEHICLE COMPATIBILITY
fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) up to a maximum percentage
VERIFICATION?
as indicated by the associated figure.
Member states can opt to provide additional consumer infor-
mation related to the label according a standardised design.
This optional consumer information is only displayed on a re-
fuelling pump.
WHAT ABOUT ELECTRICALLY
CHARGEABLE VEHICLES OR
VEHICLES THAT ARE ONLY POWERED
BY ELECTRICITY?
A CEN standard is in preparation for labels applicable to elec-
tric vehicles and recharging points.
It is expected that a similar communication for electric vehicles
and recharging points will be made public in due time.
WHAT IS THE ACTUAL MEANING OF THE LABEL?
ON NEW VEHICLES
IN THE OWNER’S
AT FUELLING
AT DEALERSHIPS
(at proximity of fuel flap/cap)
MANUAL
STATIONS
(on the fuel-dispensing unit
Size:
and on the filler nozzle of the
13mm diameter minimum
fuel dispenser)
Size:
13 mm diameter minimum
for the nozzle and 30 mm
diameter minimum for the
fuel-dispensing unit
IN WHICH COUNTRIES WILL THESE
WHAT ABOUT THE UK
LABELS BE VISIBLE?
AFTER BREXIT?
The new labels will start to appear in all 28 European Union
It is up to the UK to decide the way in which EU rules will apply
member states, EEA countries (i.e. Iceland, Lichtenstein and
after Brexit but new vehicles will have the labels fitted on the
Norway) and also Macedonia, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey,
production line so vehicles entering the UK market will conti-
who are CEN members so should also apply the CEN stan-
nue to have the labels.
dards.
We therefore assume that all public filling stations in the UK will
also have the labels.
This document has been prepared by ACEA, ACEM, Fuels Europe and UPEI,
the organisations representing European vehicle manufacturers (powered
two-wheelers, cars, vans and heavy-duty vehicles) and the European refining
and downstream fuel supply sectors. The information contained in this docu-
ment is subject to the specific national laws implementing Directive 2014/94/
EU in each member state of the EU.