For the first time, an European organization for consumer protection has systematically tested test procedures currently used by car manufacturer to assess the fuel consumption of their cars. The examination, initiated by the Italian organization Altroconsumo and conducted by an independent institution on Fiat Panda 1.2 and Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI, found that:
- Tested cars were 18-50% less efficient than marketed by the manufacturer.
- Due to that, each consumer might encounter up to 500€ unexpected additional cost.
Altroconsumo is now planning to take the case to court to help consumers get their money back.
The umbrella organization of European consumer organization BEUC has long advocated replacing the prevalent procedures, which date back to the 1970ies, with new and more adequate approaches. Monique Goyens, Director General of BEUC commented: “Consumers buying supposedly efficient cars are misled too often. If a car guzzles 2 litres more than advertised, consumers pay the price for what is essentially a company’s green marketing trick.”
Further information can be found here.
Source: BEUC