Beginning January 1, 2009 all new cars sold in California will carry a label which clearly informs consumer of the state's assessment of the vehicle transport environmental impact.

The new regulation signed into law this week by the Secretary of State, creates a simple ranking systems that will provide consumer with practical information that can be used to choose the most environmentally friendly vehicles that meet their transportation needs. Showroom model could start showing these labels as early as July 2008.

"This label will arm consumers with the information they need to choose a vehicle that saved gas, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps fight smog all at once," said Mary Nichols. "Consumer choice is an especially powerful tool in our fight against climate changes. We look forward to seeing these stickers on 2009 model cars as they start hitting the showroom in the coming months."

The environmental performance label will provide two scores on scales of 1-10, a Smog Score and a Global Warming Score. The average new car will score five on both scales. The higher the score the less impact the car has on the environment. The California Air Resources Board also hosts a consumer web site, DriveClean.ca.gov, which provides information on the cleanest, most efficient cars on the market.