On average, the cars* we tested in the real world used 23% more fuel than in their lab tests. The vehicle which produced the worst result was 59% above the lab test. Only three cars used the same amount of fuel on the road as they did in the lab.
30 cars were tested on a 90-minute real-world testing circuit. The circuit is divided equally into urban, rural and highway conditions
Tests were conducted according to European Commission protocols, adapted for Australian driving conditions and speed limits.
Tests must meet a strict set of requirements for things like vehicle payload, ambient conditions, speed and distance, as well as a specification of stop periods and total duration, or the test must be redone.
Real World Emissions testing is very reliable with an average of 3 percent variation between test results on the same vehicle.
THE HYBRID ELECTRIC SHOCK – FOUR TIMES MORE FUEL
One plug-in hybrid electric car tested used more than four times the fuel consumed in its lab test. Clearly the hybrid’s fuel saving technologies had a much greater benefit in the 20 minute lab test than in a longer drive through the real world.
Our testing shows the lab test result on the windscreen of your new car is probably misleading.
On average, the cars* we tested in the real world used 23% more fuel than in their lab tests. The vehicle which produced the worst result was 59% above the lab test. Only three cars used the same amount of fuel on the road as they did in the lab.
Our Real-World tests clearly show cars are producing more noxious gas than the legal laboratory limit.
11 out of 12 diesel cars tested were above the limit for one or more noxious gases, with one car emitting more than seven times the limit. Car manufacturers are not required to release the noxious gas lab results, but they must be under a certain laboratory limit. Cars may be meeting these limits in the lab, but for the first time we can see how much worse the problem is in the real world.
Real-world testing will enable genuine environmental outcomes.
Emissions regulations currently only require a standard laboratory test. Our tests show that as emissions regulations get stricter, vehicles are meeting lab requirements through the use of technologies that don’t necessarily deliver the same benefit in the real world. This means emissions standards are not driving down emissions as expected.
Our tests show consumers can’t just assume the car will use a ‘bit more fuel’ on the road. Our average result was 23% higher fuel consumption than the lab test, with one car using 59% more.
The cars we tested were designed to meet various Euro emission standards in the lab. We learned that the gap between how cars perform in the lab and on the road is widening as standards get stricter.
Of the 12 diesel vehicles tested, 11 did not achieve the regulated limit for NOx gas. One vehicle emitted noxious gases seven times the legal limit.
Real-world emissions testing fuel consumption compared to official laboratory test results
Our tests show the gap between lab and real-world results is getting wider
One vehicle tested in the real-world produced emissions seven times higher than the legal limit
Real world testing is urgently needed in the Australian car market to ensure consumers and policy makers are basing decisions on real-world performance. Australians are already struggling with cost of living pressures; without better information on the real performance of new cars, they will continue to pay more for fuel and technology than they need to
Real world testing is already being rolled out overseas. On-road, real-world emissions testing already applies to heavy vehicles in the USA, and is already in place for light vehicles in Europe. Paris and London authorities have also recently announced real world testing programs to improve consumer information.
The AAA is now calling on the Australian Government to introduce a local real-world emissions test program, modelled on the European standard but modified slightly to take into account Australia’s unique conditions.
Real world testing is affordable. For less than $3 per new vehicle sold in Australia, within two years, Australian consumers could have access to real-world testing information for 60% of new cars available on the Australian market. This is a very low-cost way to empower Australians to make better informed choices that suit their family budget, health, and their concern for the environment.
Vehicle emissions testing in Australia has become a game.
It’s time to join the real world.
Real-World-Driving-Emissions-Test-Summary-Report.pdf [2MB]
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Barnaby Joyce, has said that removing tariffs on safer new vehicles should be seriously considered.
read more
AAA shows almost 90 per cent of National Road Safety Strategy targets will not be met and governments are failing to fulfill their commitments.
read more
No Australian state is on track to achieve the road death reductions targeted under the National Road Safety Strategy.
read more