AAA real-world testing unearths major fuel consumption variance

The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has released the latest round of results from its locally conducted Real-World Testing Program (RWTP), revealing modern vehicles are indeed using more fuel and emitting more CO2 than advertised.

The news comes just weeks after a European investigation threw the legitimacy of the widely-used WLTP fuel-efficiency standard into question, with average fuel economy and emissions found to be around 20 per cent higher than official figures.

According to the AAA, which represents auto clubs in each state, eight of the 31 vehicles tested locally used between six and 31 per cent more fuel than indicated by their officially advertised laboratory-based test results.

That said, 11 of the test vehicles got within five per cent of their factory claims, while two actually beat their respective claims by 10 and 13 per cent.

Diving deeper into the data, which was released ahead of Australia’s new 2025 New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, six vehicles exceeded current or future Australian regulatory lab limits for tailpipe emissions, three exceeded the lab limits for nitrogen oxide (NOx), one had on-road carbon monoxide emissions that were more than double the regulated lab test limit and two exceeded the future limit for particle number emissions – set to be introduced in December 2025.

“In our latest batch of results, there is a 44 per cent spread in the gap between the tested cars’ fuel consumption lab results and their on-road performance,” said AAA managing director Michael Bradley.

“One 1.2-litre vehicle had similar on-road fuel consumption to several 2.0-litre cars, and a hybrid SUV had higher petrol consumption than a similar-sized conventional SUV.

“These tests show that when comparing vehicles, consumers and fleets cannot assume that vehicle performance as assessed by mandatory lab tests will translate into real-world savings or emissions reduction.”

Physical testing is carried out in and around Geelong in adherence with guidelines based on European Union legislation and developed in consultation with Australian regulators.

Some 200 vehicles across nearly all classes are being tested over a four-year period. The $14 million program was funded by the federal government, but there are no plans to change Australian Design Rules (ADR) to reflect the results of real-world testing.

Still, Bradley is confident the program will help “address greenwashing concerns” and can “make the NVES more robust and more effective”.

“Real-world testing will drive down demand for models that over-promise and under-deliver,” he said.

“Using these fuel consumption test results will improve motoring affordability for Australians, while cleaning up our light vehicle fleet.”

There have been several high-profile scandals revolving around emissions and fuel consumption in recent years, two of the most notable being VW’s Dieselgate saga and the multi-year court battle between Mitsubishi Australia and a disgruntled customer who proved their Triton was consistently using more fuel than advertised.

The AAA said it’s also developing EV testing protocols to crack down on unrealistic range claims made by manufacturers of electric vehicles.

Latest models tested and their percentage variance:

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