Real-World Driving vs. Lab Tests: What’s Going On With Vehicle Claims?
05 September 2025
Have you ever seen the fuel economy label on a vehicle for sale? Maybe you’ve heard things about the range of an electric vehicle (EV) and wondered how accurate it is? Recently, the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has been conducting ‘real-world’ testing of vehicles, which is useful for New Zealand as we have similar vehicles.
After each batch of tests, the results are reported by media – usually highlighting which cars didn’t measure up to expectations. Either an EV has failed to live up to its claimed range, or a combustion car is using more fuel than advertised.
But can these tests teach us anything, or are they simply headline grabbers?
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