Change in Labels Could Increase Interest in Fuel Efficiency
Duke Fuqua researchers Richard Larrick and Adrian Camilleri found that showing fuel-efficiency labels as the cost of gasoline over 100,000 miles drew more interest in efficient cars. In two experiments with over 400 American participants choosing between a cheaper, less efficient car and a pricier efficient one, that framing produced the strongest preference for the efficient vehicle among six label formats, even when fuel savings did not fully offset the higher price.
Duke Fuqua researchers Richard Larrick and Adrian Camilleri found that showing fuel-efficiency labels as the cost of gasoline over 100,000 miles drew more interest in efficient cars. In two experiments with over 400 American participants choosing between a cheaper, less efficient car and a pricier efficient one, that framing produced the strongest preference for the efficient vehicle among six label formats, even when fuel savings did not fully offset the higher price.
Written from the duke Fuqua Insights item, read 2026-10-27.
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Duke Fuqua Insights. https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-fuqua-insights/labels-fuel-efficiency