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So, from 1 July 2008 every new passenger car sold will have to sport a fuel economy info sheet in the showroom. As part of the Department of Minerals and Energy’s (DME) Energy Efficiency Accord, all new cars, SUV’s and MPV’s (apparently not light commercials…) will need to undergo standardised fuel economy testing to ensure comparability between makes and models. But lets not get too excited yet…

Up until now, automotive companies did most of their testing (read: exaggerated claims) on fuel economy figure themselves. That way, they can tell you a car will to 20km on a litre of petrol while neglecting to mention it did that at only 75km/h. So, now all vehicles will be laboratory tested, under constant atmospheric conditions and speeds to ensure comparability. This will see four wheels on a dynamometer doing between 50km/h and 120km/h on a “standard combined cycle.”

This will be similar to European systems where the European Union legislates similar tests. However, as we (well, apparently not government) who dabble in automotive journalism knows, the figures produced in the EU are, well, most unrealistic at best. Some claims have been found to be over-exaggerated by up to 40% - my 20km per litre example would actually be about 14km/litre.

True, we will be seeing apples compared with apples. However, we will actually be seeing more of a wax fruit comparison – perfectly moulded pieces of fruit. This as opposed to real apples, where the influence of weather, packaging and the hands of the delivery man determine actual consumptive pleasure.

Sure, let’s not knock this initiative too hard. It is good that government is helping in making people aware of fuel economy and energy efficiency. However, with on of GreenCars’ contributors having spent a holiday working at a prominent South Africa automotive magazine, real-life fuel consumption and the way it actually needs to be tested is a whole different ballgame.

Our recommendation? Take the figures displayed in vehicle windows with a pinch of salt. It will likely help you effectively decide between different engine sizes within a certain range, but when taking into account the different engine performance characteristics caused by either one or a combination of forced-induction (turbos), poor fuel quality, height above sea level, lead-footed speedsters, weather and road conditions, one should not plan a monthly fuel budget on these.