Call for vehicle testing overhaul as Australia's emissions fight moves to roads

Australia’s motoring lobby is launching a campaign for “real-world” vehicle emissions testing, arguing the current system needs an overhaul because it is misleading consumers and regulators.

The Australian Automobile Association will on Monday release results from emissions and fuel consumption tests on 30 passenger and light commercial vehicles showing discrepancies between real world and official fuel consumption established in laboratory testing.

But the environment movement is preparing a campaign of its own, with the Australian Conservation Foundation urging its supporters to contact their state car clubs to demand groups like the RACV, NRMA, RACQ, RAA, RAC, RACT and AANT, support strong pollution standards for cars.

Green groups say the latest testing push by the motoring lobby is a delaying tactic.

The skirmish signposts the next big battle in energy policy, with the Turnbull government considering whether to introduce new vehicle pollution standards as part of measures to reduce emissions in sectors of the economy beyond the electricity sector.

While the government unveiled its electricity strategy last week, it is still mulling its approach to the rest of the economy with a review of current climate policy, and the vehicles process, which is in gestation through a ministerial forum.

Now that the government has determined that electricity should reduce its emissions by 26% on 2005 levels by 2030 as a pro-rata share to meet Australia’s commitments under the Paris target – the next challenge will be to set up emissions reductions measures for the rest of the economy, and do that at a time when emissions are rising in industrial energy, transport, industrial heat and agriculture.

Emissions projections from the Department of Environment and Energy show transport emissions increased 52% between 1990 to 2015, and they are projected to rise a further 9% above the 2015 levels to 2030.

Earlier this year, the government released a series of proposed targets for vehicles in discussion papers to seeking input from industry. Under the strongest target considered, new cars would have to cut their CO2 emissions by 45% below current levels by 2025 – from 192g of CO2 a kilometre to 105g.

The AAA claims a “clear link” between more stringent vehicle standards and increasing fuel consumption discrepancy. The AAA’s report says as CO2 standards in Europe are becoming “more and more stringent” manufacturers are deploying technologies that are optimised for the laboratory drive cycle.

The motoring body says current vehicle testing, which happens in laboratories, has led to consumers being given inaccurate information about fuel consumption and environmental performance in popular models.

“Popular cars on the Australian market are using up to 59% more fuel than advertised and emitting more than seven times the legal limit of some noxious emissions,” said the AAA’s chief executive, Michael Bradley.

Bradley said as emissions standards tightened, “the gap between laboratory results and real-world results is widening, meaning consumers and the environment are increasingly being ripped off.”

The AAA says it wants a “real world” emissions test program for new cars, which would be modelled on the European standard, but modified slightly to take account of Australian conditions.

It says more stringent emissions laws are meant to reduce pollution and drive down fuel use, but real world testing suggests “such benefits largely occur only in the laboratory.”

However, the project manager of ClimateWorks Australia, Claire Painter said Australian motoring bodies were “misleading consumers” by seeking to delay the introduction of standards until there was a better national emissions testing regime.

“The Australian Automobile Association continues to highlight discrepancies between on-road and in-lab performance of vehicles as a means of stymying attempts to improve the overall efficiency of Australian cars,” Painter said.

“While it is important to improve emissions testing to provide greater clarity to consumers, it should not be used as a pretext for delaying the introduction of vehicle emissions standards which deliver real fuel savings to motorists.”

ClimateWorks says if the government introduced the most stringent vehicle standard currently in contemplation, motorists would benefit from annual additional fuel savings of up to $519 for an average passenger vehicle driver or $666 for a light commercial vehicle driver.

As part of efforts to counter the lobbying by the motoring sector, the chief executive of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Kelly O’Shanassy, has already written to the heads of the state motoring clubs asking whether the AAA’s position on climate pollution standards represent their own.

“I reckon Australians will be shocked that the organisations they trust to get them out of a jam when their car breaks down now appear to be trying to undermine the implementation of the toughest climate pollution standards,” O’Shanassy said.

“Of course we need rigorous testing of cars to make sure they are not polluting more than they should and the federal government is looking to introduce more accurate testing standards already being deployed in Europe,” she said.

“But this isn’t an excuse to stall the introduction of strong pollution and carbon emissions standards, in fact it’s a reason to go ahead without delay.”

A spokeswoman for the minister for urban infrastructure, Paul Fletcher, said the government would look at the AAA’s data through the ministerial forum on vehicle emissions “which will work systemically through a range of issues and offers an opportunity to assess the merits of real-world testing”.

She said Australia currently operated within an international testing system, and introducing an Australia specific real-world emissions tests would increase costs for motorists.