Federal Government to fund real-world fuel testing program for Australia’s most popular vehicles

Australian new car buyers will benefit from a new real-world fuel usage program over the next four years, in a bid to improve customer transparency.

The Albanese Government has announced it will provide $14 million to the Australian Automotive Association to facilitate the testing, which is designed to more accurately evaluate the fuel consumption of Australia’s most popular vehicles – and supplement laboratory testing.

While the exact number of vehicle models that will be tested is currently unknown, it is expected to include the best-selling cars, SUVs and utes sold in Australia – such as the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai i30, amongst others.

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It follows a pilot study conducted by the Australian Automotive Association in 2016, which found that 29 of 30 vehicles used more fuel than what is claimed in laboratory conditions.

On average, the vehicles were said to have used 23 per cent more fuel than what is claimed on the windscreen sticker and on the Green Vehicle Guide website.

The pilot test was conducted in the aftermath of the Volkswagen Group’s diesel emissions scandal in 2015, when cheating devices – intended to reduce harmful CO2 emissions during laboratory testing – were unearthed by US regulators.

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A fuel consumption label has been mandatory on all new vehicles sold in Australia since 2001.

It uses results from the Australian Design Rules 81/02 testing procedure, which is based on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) introduced in the 1980s.

Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Catherine King said the investment will help car buyers to reduce the amount they spend at the fuel bowser.

“Our $14 million investment for on-road testing will help improve the information available on how much fuel different vehicles use on the road, which will also give consumers a better idea of how much it will cost to run.

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Earlier this year, the Federal Government redesigned the Green Vehicle Guide website, which uses laboratory test data to compare the fuel efficiency of vehicles sold in Australia.

In addition, it has launched a consultation paper to discuss strategies to introduce vehicle efficiency standards, improved CO2 emissions schemes, and grow electric vehicle sales in Australia.

“Buying and running a car is a large cost for families and businesses and is a big contributor to household energy bills,” said Federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen.

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“Consumers deserve accurate information about their running costs so they aren’t hit in the hip-pocket.

“This overdue initiative will help drive fuel savings through informed consumer choice, and help ensure emissions footprint claims by carmakers are accurate.”

Further details on the real-world testing program are expected later this year, with the first vehicles to be assessed in early 2023.