Oz Motoring Group Wants Real-World Emissions Tests

The Australian Automobile Assn. says vehicle emissions testing has become a game and consumers are losing.

It launches a petition campaign to get the federal government to introduce real-world emissions testing for new cars and to make that information available to consumers.

The group says its real-world testing shows consumers may be paying more for vehicles they believe are saving fuel and the environment, but don’t live up to the claims.

AAA CEO Michael Bradley says the results reinforce concerns consumers increasingly are paying for technologies that reduce consumption and emissions in a laboratory but fail to deliver in the real world.

“More-stringent emissions laws are meant to reduce pollution and drive down fuel use, however, our results suggest such benefits largely occur only in the laboratory,” Bradley says in a statement.

“Popular cars on the Australian market are using up to 59% more fuel than advertised and emitting more than seven times the legal limit of some noxious emissions,” he says. “It’s becoming clear that as emissions standards tighten, the gap between laboratory results and real-world results is widening, meaning consumers and the environment are increasingly being ripped off.”

The AAA has not named the vehicles it tested.

With growing recognition that vehicles are optimized for laboratory performance, Bradley says several international jurisdictions are moving to introduce real-world emissions testing.

The group wants a federally regulated real-world emissions test program for new cars, modeled on the European standard but modified to take account of Australian conditions – allowing for variations such as higher urban average speeds, lower highway maximum speeds and a warmer climate.

“Australian motorists have a right to accurate information about fuel consumption and environmental performance when buying a new car,” Bradley says. “The current system is misleading consumers and regulators. Only real-world testing can drive down costs to consumers and deliver meaningful environmental benefit.”

AAA Says Tests Reveal Credibility Gap

After the Volkswagen emissions scandal, the AAA tested 30 vehicles to quantify the difference between their results in standard laboratory testing and the emissions they produce in the real world. They tested large, small, hybrid, gasoline, liquid-propane-gas and diesel vehicles to reflect Australia’s diverse car fleet.

The cars were tested on a 90-minute real-world circuit, divided equally into urban, rural and highway conditions, using European Commission protocols adapted for Australian driving conditions and speed limits.

“Our testing shows the lab test result on the windscreen of your new car is probably misleading,” the AAA says in a published statement. “On average, the cars we tested in the real world used 23% more fuel than in their lab tests. The vehicle that 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.”

AAA says it found 11 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.

It says real-world testing is affordable and for less than $3 per new vehicle sold in Australia, consumers within two years could have access to real-world testing information for 60% of new cars.

“The results of the AAA’s testing show repeatability to within an average of 3%,” it says.

The Australasian Fleet Management Assn. backs the AAA campaign, with Executive Director Mace Hartley saying the AAA’s tests show selecting a vehicle based on its published fuel consumption and carbon-dioxide emissions amounts to a lottery.

He says in a statement his group believes the AAA’s program complements existing and proposed regulations, and that the proposed funding method is feasible and requires little change to existing revenue-collection methods.

“It would be great for Australia to match processes soon to be adopted by London, Paris and many other cities across the world,” Hartley says.

Typically, a fleet of 100 vehicles will cost about A$3 million ($2.34 million) to purchase and have anticipated annual fuel costs of A$225,000 ($175,835) and produce 402 tons of CO2.

However, Hartley says applying the maximum 59% variance found with the AAA testing would result in an estimated additional cost of A$400,000 ($312,600) in fuel and 710 more tons of CO2 emissions over three years.