Tuesday, Mar 13, 2018 at 13:21
It's fairly
well-known, and has been a bone of contention for some time, that fuel consumption figures posted as "gospel" by manufacturers,
bore no relation to real-world fuel consumption.
This was because vehicle manufacturers were allowed to set up and conduct their own fuel consumption tests, with no independent regulation, no set standards, and no supervision.
It has been reported that manufacturers went to extreme lengths to "fudge" their fuel consumption figures.
Doing things such as removing seats, pumping tyres up to tyre manufacturers maximum allowable tyre pressures, picking days with tailwinds, slackening off wheel bearings, utilising non-standard fuels, and fine-tuning engines for absolute maximum fuel efficiency, were just some of the outrageous tactics employed by devious manufacturers, to obtain unrealistic fuel consumption figures.
The manufacturers realised a lot hung on trumpeting excellent fuel economy figures - not only improved sales and a more "competitive" vehicle on offer - but with the U.S. Govt mandating ever-increasingly stricter, improved-fuel-economy standards - it was important that the vehicles being produced, could "meet" those U.S. Govt-imposed standards.
Where it all fell apart, of course, was the U.S. Govt, and other Govts, not adding mandatory, independent, real-world testing of fuel consumption levels, to ensure vehicle manufacturer honesty.
The bottom line was, that the vast majority of politicians were unwilling to "
rock the boat", when it came to opposing the strident and belligerent demands of the huge (and nearly all, global) vehicle manufacturers for easing or delaying of fuel consumption and emission standards.
However, when it became obvious that tighter fuel economy and emission standards were eventually being introduced, regardless of the manufacturers lobbying and threats, it was all
too easy for those manufacturers to find ways to defeat the intent of the tighter fuel economy and emissions standards.
Shared common directors between oil companies and vehicle manufacturers are another ugly and poorly-controlled feature of our corporate world.
Add in powerful politicians who have been "bought" by manufacturers and oil producers - politicians who have extensive investments in corporations involved in vehicle manufacturing and oil production - and politicians who have been threatened with local job losses (leading to their own job loss!) by vehicle manufacturers and oil producers - then all this leads to vehicle manufacturers gaining excessive power and an ability to thumb their nose at consumer demands and requirements.
With the competition introduced by Elon Musk and his Tesla, the scene is set for real competition in the vehicle marketplace - and a need for claimed battery ranges, to be independently tested and qualified!
Cheers, Ron.
AnswerID:
617529