Vehicle fuel economy labels in Australia to be more accurate
Posted March 09
From April 1st 2009 Australian car makers must display both the urban (city) and extra urban (highway) vehicle fuel economy figures on cars in showrooms. Previously, they only had to display a combined vehicle fuel economy figure, which was skewed towards highway driving and hid the real fuel efficiency of some cars in typical day to day driving.This is a big step forward in enlightening consumers about the fuel economy of their cars since some larger cars can use almost twice as much fuel in the city as in the country. For example the Holden Commodore Calais V6 uses 15.8l/100km in the city versus 8.6l/100km on the open road. A government spokesman said "most people would intuitively know their cars use more fuel in the city than on the highway but the labels will help to quantify the difference."
Not only will the new vehicle fuel economy figures give motorists more information about the cost of running a car but it also allows a more informed choice about the environmental impact of a certain vehicle.
The new information will be loaded onto the governments Green Vehicle Guide website and motorists will be able to use an online calculator to work out how much they will save on their fuel bill if they change to a more economical vehicle.
Before 2003, vehicle makers were required to display city fuel economy figures but from 2003 to 2009 they only had to provide an average number which was based on 37 per cent city driving and 63 per cent highway driving.
City fuel efficiency will be calculated by a dynamometer test at an average speed of 19km/h and will include idling, followed by a series of stops and starts. Highway figures will be calculated at an average speed of 63km/h and will include acceleration up to 120km/h.
Back To News
most popular
Fuel Efficiency TestsHow fuel efficiency is calculated and why your fuel economy will be different.
Manual, automatic and CVT fuel efficiencyWe examine the different transmission types.
must read advice
Most Economical SpeedWhich speed will give you the best fuel mileage?
Improve Fuel EconomyTop tips to make your car more efficient.