Fuel Consumption PDF Manual Guide

City and highway tests
There are two different fuel consumption tests: one for city driving and one for highway driving. The city driving test simulates a 12 km, stop-and-go trip with an average speed of 32 km/h. The test includes time spent idling, as in waiting at traffic lights or in peak hour traffic, and two kinds of engine starts are used: the cold start, which is similar to starting a car in the morning after it has been parked all night; and the hot start, similar to restarting a vehicle after it has been warmed up, driven and stopped for a short time. The highway driving test represents ‘non-city’ driving
over a distance of 16.48 km, at an average speed of 77 km/h. The test is run from a hot start and has little idling time and no stops (except at the end of the test).

Your car’s fuel consumption
While the Guide does provide reliable fuel consumption figures for comparing different vehicles, you may experience different results depending on driving conditions, driver behaviour and the condition of your vehicle. No test can simulate all possible combinations of traffic conditions, climate, driver behaviour and car-care habits. You may not have much control over some factors such as traffic conditions, but you do have control over others, how you drive and how well your car is maintained. A study to measure the in-service fuel consumption of the Australian passenger car fleet was completed for the former Department of Primary Industries and Energy. The study found that on average drivers used 15 per cent
more fuel than the Guide figure in city conditions and 34 per cent more in highway driving. The variation in these figures is a powerful demonstration of the effect of differences in driving style, standard of car tuning and other factors.

Why improve your fuel consumption?
Human activity is producing more and more greenhouse gas emissions. Scientific research predicts that rising temperatures caused by increased levels of greenhouse gases will harm humans, plants and animals by changing weather patterns and raising sea levels. Road transport in Australia is responsible for 65 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions or 14 per cent of Australia’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. You can help reduce these emissions by choosing the most fuel efficient car to meet your needs and driving it in a fuel efficient manner. Urban air pollution is the number one public environmental concern in Australia. Motor vehicles are the major contributor to air pollution in Australia. By following the tips below you will also help minimise air pollution caused by motor vehicles.

Download Fuel Consumption PDF Manual Guide