New fuel labels for new cars
9 Apr, 2008
24 Comments 
The fuel sticker/label used on new vehicles was replaced from the beginning of this month with a new design. The outgoing stickers (right) only showed the average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of the car while the new one will carry more info.
Following in the footsteps of our American friends, the new labels will display both the urban and extra urban, or city driving and highway driving fuel ratings.
The label will continue to display the C02 emissions for the combined fuel cycle.
The reason for the change has been due to the vast differences between city and highway fuel ratings, with some cars using 8L less fuel per 100km on the highway compared to the city.
Research shows that on average, drivers will spend 40km on city roads and 60km on the highway per 100km of driving. The Department of Transport and Regional Services, which instigated the change, is also considering adding a star rating similar to ones you’ll find on a new fridge or dishwasher.
The aim is to inform the buyer as to how good/bad a new car is for the environment.
Currently the star rating was not implemented with the recent change due to the possibility of confusing the consumers, but it may be introduced in the future.
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April 9th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
is extra urban meant to be highway driving?
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April 9th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Urban fuel consumption (cold): The urban test cycle is carried out in a laboratory at an ambient temperature of 20C to 30C on a rolling road from a cold start, i.e. the engine has not run for several hours. The cycle consists of a series of accelerations, steady speeds, decelerations and idling. Maximum speed is 50 km/h, average speed 19 km/h and the distance covered is usually 4 km.
Extra-urban fuel consumption defined as: The extra-urban cycle is conducted immediately following the urban cycle and consists roughly half steady-speed driving and the remainder accelerations, decelerations and some idling. Maximum speed is 120 km/h, average speed is 63 km/h and the distance covered is 7 km.
Combined fuel consumption defined as: The combined figure presented is for the urban and the extra-urban cycle together. It is therefore an average of the two other parts of the fuel consumption test, Urban and Extra-urban cycles, weighted by the distance covered in each part.
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April 9th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
GOOD!!! about bloody time!!!
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April 9th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
if the maximum speed limit is 110, they shouldnt really be testing at 120.
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April 9th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Mitch, the Australian standard is based on the ISO internation standard, hence the 120 km/h max.
I think that this should enable people to be more informed buyers, although many just wont understand how to apply it to their individual situation.
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April 9th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
At an ambient temperature of 20-30, the engine wouldn’t really be cold.
The fuel sticker might therefore be fairly colse to the mark in Queensland, but in a Melbourne winter with ambient temperature of 0-10 the engine will be on full “choke” for pretty much all of the 4ks, and the sticker figure would be very hard to achieve. Even by the end of the 7ks of the high speed many engines would only just have reached a working temperature.
But it’s good to get the extra information. They might as well put it on the sticker, since they gather it during the test.
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April 9th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Forgot to add, the CO2 grams information is just plain useless.
Only those who also count calories would sit down and tally up their CO2 emissions for the day - mmmm, I think I’ve been bad today, drove 4ks but it was 35 degrees so the car would have been 270 CO2s, and then I exceeded my daily Fart quota, and the volume on the telly was a bit high so my share of the power generated by my local power station was higher than my allowance of CO2s from that source, and the damn dog got into the leftover chicken which also mahes him fart, and I had a Big Mac meal with upsizing so my calories are sky high too — Sob, sob, sob, Im a fat CO2 polluter……
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April 9th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Reckless1, i agree with you, but i think it will be useful for some people to avoid buying a car that will incur congestion taxes like in London when our pollies eventually realise they can make a killing with a new TAX!!!
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April 9th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
True, James.
I think they are soon to introduce a new Poverty Tax, since the wealthy have enough taxes already (Land Tax, Luxury Car tax, etc).
That should even things out a bit :)
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April 9th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Hey Reckless1, do you still buy 75W incandescents when a 15W compact fluorescent does just as good a job? They both put out the same amount of light, but one uses less energy and creates less emissions than the other. Sure it makes a difference in you pocket, but there is a very direct correlation between energy consumption and emissions.
Having CO2 info on the sticker is a helpful guide, if only to alert people as to their carbon footprint.
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April 9th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
funniest thing ive ever heard you say Reckless1.
it was funny because it will become true.
it wont be too long before we pay for our co2 emissions.
i was told a while ago about a large company that has leased a massive area of tree filled land as they have to offset their emissions.
the guy who owns the land would be on the right track as it wouldnt be long before we all have to account for our emissions.
im sure it would be tempting to lease it to a few companies he he he he i can smell a fraud charge coming up
about time they split the Hwy/city cycle down i say
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April 9th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Andrew, please - not too loud, or I’ll be hit with a Comedy Tax and you will cop a Laughing Tax…..
Superc, I am distressed about the possible impact of our lifestyles on our environment.
I just happen to think it’s a complete waste of time for me to count my CO2s and stress about it, when China and India have 2.5 billion people who want our living standard, and are working fast to get it. They don’t and won’t give a damn about their CO2s - who’s going to “punish” them for buying more and more of our coal, gas and iron ore. There certainly won’t be anyone policing them, so I don’t want anyone policing me.
And I don’t want a lecture from a supercilious Prius owner about my view - if you try, I’ll go and have a 10 minute shower. I can do that, because I’ve been using water saving shower heads for 25 years while others have been under the tropical roses, so I have plenty of water credits.
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April 9th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Reckless,
mate you can cop the comedy tax as far as im concearned as i had to cop the emissions tax after i got a bit excited from reading your comedy.
seriously though mate,
im totally with you on the emissions bullshyte
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April 9th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
So basically if you want an interesting car look for higher numbers :P
What I’d like to see is a rating showing just how badly we are ripped off for a particular car as compared to the USA.
Was recently looking at the new BMW 1 series converts with my dad, and it’s ridiculous that for the price of a 125i here, you can almost get a 6 series with a thumping V8.
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April 10th, 2008 at 11:24 am
This new fuel label has missed one very important number. RON. What’s the point in buying a vehicle with slightly lower l/100Km if it demands more expensive 98 RON. There are a number of ordinary performing (usually European, but not omly) cars which need 95 and 98 RON petrol and I bet the new car buyer doesn’t find out until he/she goes to fill the car for the first time.
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April 10th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
It is about time DOTARS got their act together and Australia falls into line with most of the world, and consumers get some reasonable idea of actual best case fuel consumption.
BTW, Cold starts are
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April 10th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Just like Jeremy Clarkson said, “Just look for the highest number and buy it!!”
At least, he bought the Ford GT with 4 mpg consumption.
I would say that the octane level would need to be specified in those cards. I believe that higher octane level gives you more power as well as economy. We need to know what octane level they used to test those cars.
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April 10th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
i hope they’ve allowed for enough digits to include the ‘new’ 427 7litre HSV motor!
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April 10th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
They also need to make the adhesive less ticky, they’re a bugger to remove and leave a nasty nasty sticky mark for years!
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April 10th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Big AL,
it looks like they will print the fuel type.
where they currently have “fuel type” written i assume the RON will be inserted once the details become specific to a particular vehicle
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April 10th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Wouldn’t all manufacturers test their vehicles with 98 RON anyway? It would skew the results in their favour, at least the fuel consumption and co2 figures would look better.
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April 10th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
^^^
i know with the power figures they dont
a trap for young players when the 302kw GT was achieved on regular versus the 307kw GTS on premium
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April 24th, 2008 at 12:39 am
We’ve had combined, urban and extra urban figure for years here. Makes sense really espcially if you are intending to drive in city areas only.
Yep Andrew M - won’t be long b4 you’re having to pay for your carbon footprint. cars below 100 co2 bits per km are exempt form road tax (rego) here. The worst will soon be paying £900 AU$2115.
Funnily enough the Oh-So-Green Prius has to pay a small charge cos its not really green.
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May 19th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Q.When will you see these new labels?
A.New models: post 1st October 2008
Existing models: from 1st April 2009
(or earlier if manufacturer re-certifies)
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