Motorists, using a user generated database, can determine the real fuel economy their cars have instead of the highly optimistic unrealistic official figures. The Daily Telegraph’s, Honest John, the motoring expert, has launched the Real Life Fuel Economy Register enabling drivers to enter their daily fuel consumption figures then the website uses those to generate the average mpg.
Then they can compare those figures with the EC figures which Honest John says are often times skewed by relying on figures that are generated from simulated laboratory conditions. In the database cars are registered according to engine and transmission type, make and model. Measures are in place says Honest John to prevent distortion of averages via far-fetched figures, multiple entries or others types of sabotage.
An overall reasonably expected figure is achieved from the average of different driving types and usage and the drivers experience. Also combined official EC the fuel consumption and CO2 emission figures can be determined via a series of tests.
According to Honest John the numbers tend to be too optimistic and are not reflective of a real life scenario because engines are optimized by the manufacturers for the test in order to achieve the lowest CO2 emission possible forming the taxation base.
