The Federal Government is providing $14 million to the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) over the course of four years for a real-world testing program on the fuel usage of popular vehicles.
The program will run from 2023 to 2026 and will test up to 240 motor vehicle models and variants over the course of four years. Initially, vehicles from the most popular segments will be covered by the program. New and updated models will be tested as they are released in the future.
“More fuel-efficient vehicles are not only better for the environment, but better for the back pocket at the bowser,” said Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King.
“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,” Ms. King adds.
While fuel consumption labels had been mandatory on all new vehicles sold in Australia since 2001, these were found to be inaccurate.
“A pilot study by the Australian Automobile Association found that 29 of 30 popular car models used more fuel than they advertised when tested in the real-world, outside of laboratory settings,” according to a statement released by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication, and the Arts.
“Buying and running a car is a large cost for families and businesses and is a big contributor to household energy bills. Consumers deserve accurate information about their running costs, so they aren’t hit in the hip-pocket,” said Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen.
“This overdue initiative will help drive fuel savings through informed consumer choice, and help ensure emissions footprint claims by carmakers are accurate,” he adds.
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