Ever wondered why your brand new car does not achieve the prized fuel consumption described by the vehicle manufacturers in their brochures and point-of-sale materials.
A recent report from Transport & Environment provides new evidence and understanding on why there is a growing gap between the official fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of new passenger cars and vans, and that which is achieved in real-life use by the same vehicles on the road.
It demonstrates that the current (NEDC) test is outdated and unrepresentative of real-world driving and current vehicles, and that loose testing procedures can allow vehicle manufacturers to manipulate the official tests to produce unrealistically low CO2 emissions.
The report concludes that the current system for measuring car and van fuel economy and CO2 emissions is not fit for purpose and is in need to urgent updating.
As a consumer, it is important to have fair and accurate information upon which to base purchasing decisions. If the underlying information is not secure then the basis for comparison of the environmental performance of vehicles could lead to greater cost for the consumer and greater environmental impacts.
A copy of the original report can be obtained from http://bit.ly/ZBFHFK