Have Motorists Been Cheated By Fuel Efficiency?

Being a motorist isn't cheap, with the average Brit spending almost £70,000 on fuel over the course of a lifetime. Now, a new study is suggesting that over the past 18 years, car manufacturers have embellished lab-based fuel efficiency tests and as a result, cheated British drivers out of a huge £22 billion in extra fuel costs. For Europe as a whole, the total gap between "official" and real-world fuel economy has cost motorists €150 billion in extra petrol and diesel costs.

T&E accuses car manufacturers of "gaming" tactics

The accusations come from the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E), which has slammed manufacturers for adopting underhand "gaming" tactics to heighten fuel efficiency. In 2016 the average discrepancy between claimed and actual fuel efficiency was an alarming 42%. Since the turn of the century, the T&E asserts the deception has cost British motorists £22 billion.  

While the gap is expected to shrink in the wake of new fuel efficiency testing standards set to be introduced this year, the T&E warns that drivers will continue to swallow extra fuel costs. While Brits will feel the sting, the T&E reveals that German drivers have been hit the hardest since 2000. In total they spent an extra €36 billion on petrol and diesel, compared to the efficiency levels published by car manufacturers.

"The victims are citizens that have paid out €150 billion for more fuel and are also suffering the consequences of unchecked climate change," says Greg Archer, Clean Vehicles Director at T&E.

CO2 emissions on the rise

The trend of "gaming" official emissions tests is also taking its toll on the environment, with Archer noting that the practice has created an additional 264 million tonnes of CO2.

"Despite regulations to reduce emissions, there has been no real-world improvement in CO2 emissions for five years and just a 10 per cent improvement since 2000 - far less than the industry like to claim,' he said.

While the introduction of the highly-anticipated Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure is designed to fix the issue and regulate standards, experts and environmental groups warn that manufacturers will simply find new loopholes.

"The Commission's inadequate proposal to reduce CO2 emissions from cars and vans after 2020 comes with a new licence for carmakers to keep gaming the system," predicts Archer. "The result will be EU member states missing their climate targets and drivers continuing to fork out more for fuel."

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