Eco-friendly vehicles

“Eco-friendly vehicles” include any vehicle with an all-electric or gas-electric fuel source. They also include any vehicle, 2006 model year or newer, that meets any one of the following criteria: 

1. Any motor vehicle with a combined fuel consumption rating (“CFCR”) of 6.9 litres per 100 km or less;
2. Any “special purpose vehicle” (i.e. SUV) or “full size” vehicle with a CFCR of 8.0 litres per 100 km or less; or,
3. Any “van” or “minivan” with a CFCR of 10.1 litres per 100 km or less.

For the purposes of this policy, CFCR is determined by adding 55% of the vehicle's city fuel consumption rating to 45% of the vehicle's highway fuel consumption rating. These calculations are based on data submitted by each vehicle's manufacturer to Transport Canada's Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Information System. Fuel consumption data is published by vehicle manufacturers and Natural Resources Canada.

Table 1: EFT Vehicle Types & Maximum CFR

Note: Maximum CFCR criteria may not be met in some model years and some editions of a particular vehicle. The examples provided here are merely a quick illustration.

The types of vehicles shown in Table 1 are based on classes defined by Natural Resources Canada (NRC). Type A can include any 2006 or later vehicle that meets the CFCR criteria. Type B is limited to sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) and full-size cars. NRC vehicle lists use the following codes for these types of vehicles:

• SP:    Special purpose vehicle
• US:    Small SUV
• UL:    Standard SUV
• L:    Large vehicle

Type C vehicles are vans. NRC vehicle lists identify vans with these vehicle class codes: 

• V:    Minivan
• F:    Large van
• FP:    Passenger van

Calculating the CFCR

NRC publishes fuel consumption ratings for vehicles models used in Canada. The NRC database reports ratings for both city and highway driving conditions.

The CFCR is not reported by the NRC. The rate for a vehicle is calculated by adding 55% of the city rating to 45% of its highway rating, as follows:

Table 2: Sample CFCR Calculation

Vehicles with more than one CFCR

There may be different editions for some vehicle models due to varying types of engines and transmissions. These differences impact fuel consumption resulting in each edition having its own rating. As a result, some editions of the same vehicle model may meet the eco-friendly criteria and others may not. For example, the 2014 non-hybrid edition of the Ford Escape rating does not meet the eco-friendly SUV criteria. The hybrid editions of the 2014 Ford Escape meet the criteria and may be used as eco-friendly taxis.