Why ordinary people can not reach the same figures for fuel consumption as the car manufacturers!

The goal is the lowest possible fuel consumption and CO-value in the laboratory test. It often means both less tax and that it is easier to reach EU requirements.

1) Lubricating and the use of special lubricants in the engine which is not available in ordinary shops helps the vehicle to run more efficiently.  Car manufacturers can optimize the engine to decrease the maximum emissions during the test.

2) All electronics such as lights, air-conditioning, navigation system, radio, heated seats are turned off and not used during the test. This makes the car run cheaper.

3) The alternator is disconnected to lower the energy consumption.

4) Pressing the brake pads fully into the brake callipers, will make the wheels turn even easier.

5) A car with a stop / start system: The system allows the engine to stop when the vehicle stops, as in traffic or at a red light. The car starts up again when the clutch is pressed, or when the brake is released, if it is a car with an automatic transmission. 20 % of the entire cycle is these types of stops. This means; rare for normal driving. Several of these stop / start system does not work when it is sufficiently cold outside.

6) Laboratory temperature is set as close as possible to 30 degrees Celsius. A higher temperature makes the engine run easier.

7) Using a higher gear can make the engine run more efficiently.

8) To seal of the windows and other cracks in the bodywork is done to reduce drag as much as possible.

9) CO2 results that are reported by the Car manufacturers can be up to 4 % lower than it actually was.

10) It can be used tires with particularly low rolling resistance. They are filled with more air than usual to reduce rolling resistance.