Auto sales stickers may add guzzle grade Rating designed to push buyers to weigh fuel efficiency GradeBy David Shepardson Detroit News Washington Bureau Washington -- Federal regulators on Monday proposed awarding new cars and trucks letter grades on fuel efficiency in a move that could deter consumers from buying gas guzzlers, but hurt Detroit's Big Three and other automakers that rely on profitable large vehicle sales. The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommended an overall grade for fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions as part of a sweeping revision of vehicle window stickers for the 2012 model year. The grading scale would be A+ through D. 'We think a new label is absolutely necessary to help consumers make the right decision for their wallet and for the environment,' said Gina McCarthy, an assistant EPA administrator. The trade group that represents Detroit's automakers, Toyota Motor Corp. and other manufacturers, expressed concerns the grades would be too judgmental. 'Automakers support providing our customers with meaningful information for decision-making on vehicles that meet their particular needs,' said Dave McCurdy, CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. 'But the proposed letter grade falls short because it is imbued with school-yard memories of passing and failing.' The grading system was among a host of changes and additions to window stickers recommended by the agencies. They included adding comparison information on fuel economy, and new measures of carbon dioxide and smog-related emissions. The agencies also proposed adding an equivalent gas mileage rating that would allow consumers to compare all-electric, hybrid, diesel and compressed natural gas vehicles with conventional gasoline-powered vehicles. The agencies came up with two label designs and want consumer feedback on which would help shoppers make better decisions about energy use and environmental impact . One of the proposed options does not include the letter grades and is a more modest redesign of the sticker that's been on vehicles since late 1976. NHTSA and the EPA will wait for public feedback before selecting a final design. EPA will hold a public hearing and consumers can send comments to newlabelsepa.gov. The agencies may adopt a 'modified version' of the proposal after the 60-day comment period. The proposed grading system would be tough and similar to a system in the United Kingdom. There, new cars and trucks get an A through F rating, but the size of the grade on the sticker is smaller than what NHTSA and the EPA are proposing here. The U.S. system would use an A+ through D scale. A handful of vehicles would receive an A grade; the median or midpoint grade would be a B-. No vehicle would get a failing grade. To get an A, a vehicle would have to average at least 59 mpg; to avoid a D, a vehicle would have to average at least 14 mpg. Fully electric vehicles, such as the Nissan Leaf, would get an A+, while a plug-in hybrid would get an A. Many hybrids like the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Prius would get an A-. The Ferrari 612 would be one of the gas-hungry high-performance vehicles getting a D. No minivan would rate higher than a C+, and most SUVs would get a C+ or lower, the EPA said. Some versions of the Toyota Tundra, Nissan Titan, Cadillac CTS, Lexus 570 and GMC Sierra 15 would get a C-. Few vehicles would get an A or a D. Seventeen would get some version of an A, and 14 would get a D or D+. About 1,400 models would get a B- or lower; 650 would get higher than a B-. To further highlight a vehicle's fuel efficiency and environmental rating, the proposed A ratings would be against a green backdrop, yellow for B grades, orange for Cs and a dark orange for Ds. The agencies asked for comment on whether grading a vehicle A+ would mistakenly lead consumers to believe it has no energy or environmental impact. In another major shift, the proposal would allow automakers to drop the display of both city and highway mpg figures, allowing them to print one combined figure. The move could prod some consumers into buying more efficient vehicles. 'This update is long overdue,' said NHTSA chief David Strickland. 'These old petroleum-centric labels simply aren't good enough any more.' But Rebecca Lindland, an auto analyst at IHS Automotive, said the ratings don't take into account individual needs. 'It seems a little childish -- like you are going back to grade school and your wrist is being slapped,' she said. 'Do you really want you to spent $30,000 on a car that gets a B-?' People buy cars for lots of reasons, not just for fuel efficiency, she said. 'This is evaluating your decision to a buy a vehicle on one thing,' Lindland said. 'Even Harvard admissions doesn't do that.' Luke Tonachel, a vehicle analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the changes 'can help consumers quickly find the most efficient vehicles that meet their travel needs and therefore use less gas, save money at the pump and cut pollution.' The more modest redesign option would retain the window sticker's focus on gas mileage and annual fuel costs, while updating the overall design and adding the required new comparison information on fuel economy and emissions. In that case, EPA would award a 'SmartWay' rating for a few top performers in each vehicle class. Grade 