Fleet managers have been warned to treat all fuel consumption figures with caution, unless they derive from their own experience. Steve Clarke, group marketing manager for Fuel Card Services, said, “A recent Which? report showed only 13 of 200 tested vehicles living up to manufacturers’ official mpg figures. Surprisingly, this is hardly news, with various vehicle makers being fined for misleading during recent years. Until this environment changes, fleet managers should only trust the statistics they compile themselves.”

The report on a three-year study revealed that manufacturers’ official consumption figures were optimistic, on average, by 13%. It appeared during the same month as an unrelated report surveying 1,000 business decision-makers.

Steve Clarke said, “RAC Business found that 44% of those surveyed cited fuel economy as their top priority when acquiring new vehicles. It is not difficult to conclude that almost half of business vehicles are bought for their supposed fuel efficiency, but based on misleading claims in 93% of cases. The only sensible option is for fleet managers to rely on their own fuel consumption evidence, while ensuring that they continue to refuel vehicles as cost-effectively as possible.”

He welcomed the eventual implementation of a more reliable testing protocol for fuel consumption, the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure. This may be implemented across the EU during the coming two years, in line with ever-greater EU emphasis on sustainability.

“While fleet managers wait for consumption figures that can be trusted, they should re-evaluate their fuel procurement. Many will have been using the same fuel cards for years, not realising how that market has changed significantly. They need to reassess, comparing everything available. It makes no sense to look for fuel-efficient vehicles but not to refuel them cost-effectively.”