AAA to test real-world vehicle emissions in Australia
The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has announced it will test some of the country’s top-selling vehicles for real-world emissions, as first reported in December.
Following Volkswagen’s ‘Dieselgate’ scandal and allegations that other manufacturers have cheated in emissions tests, the AAA is investing $500,000 to conduct an on-road emissions testing pilot of around 30 vehicles currently on sale in Australia.
Michael Bradley, CEO of AAA, said the testing is being done "on behalf of Australians who care about the environment and consumer rights".
“In the wake of the Volkswagen scandal and consequent concerns raised about other vehicle makers and lab-based emissions testing, the AA has decided to test the on-road emissions of a number of Australia’s top-selling vehicles,” he said.
“It’s fallen to the AAA to do this on behalf of Australian motorists because the Australian Government does no testing to ensure car manufacturers comply with emissions regulations of the Australian Design Rules.”
“Where this hasn’t occurred we’ve seen Australians dealing with uncertainty, inconvenience, potential loss of vehicle values and cars which may cost more to run,” he added
Additionally, the AAA has renewed its call for the Australian Government to run emissions tests for new vehicles.
Above: PSA recently released independently verified real-world fuel consumption figures for most of its vehicle line-up
This announcement follows PSA Peugeot-Citroen’s recent real-world fuel consumption testing for 30 of its models - the most recent results of which were released last month - to provide more clarity for customers when purchasing vehicles based on claimed fuel consumption figures.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen has recently announced it will fit particulate filters to its petrol-engined vehicles, and supports independent emissions testing, amid the Dieselgate emissions-cheating scandal the company was the centre of.
The AAA’s emissions testing pilot of the first 10 vehicles will be completed by the end of August, with the results to be made available later in 2016. Also planned is tests for a sample of the Volkswagen Group vehicles affected by Dieselgate before and after the company commences remediation.
MORE: PSA releases real-world fuel figures for 30 models
MORE: Volkswagen details plan for cleaner future
MORE: Volkswagen diesel emissions coverage
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