Convincing the Public to Buy the More Fuel-Efficient Cars. An Urgent National Need

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required by legislation to determine the gas mileage of new cars and to publish the results, in conjunction with the Federal Energy Administration (FEA), in a simple, understandable guide containing comparative data on gas mileages of automobiles. In attempting to determine how the public can be convinced to accept automobiles which will achieve fuel economy, the following were studied: (1) the potential for reducing automobile fuel consumption; (2) whether there a need for a more effective public information program; (3) whether there need for more timely distribution of gas mileage guides; and (4) whether mileage estimates are reliable and credible.