Dies ist eine HTML Version eines Anhanges der Informationsfreiheitsanfrage 'Lobby meetings on natural gas with trade associations'.




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.