Car emissions testing system needs a tune-up: consumer protection group

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Emissions testing for cars needs to better match real world conditions, says a consumer protection group which focuses on the automotive industry.

This group says it’s too easy to game the system, after revelations Volkswagen lied about the efficiency of many of its diesel cars.

The metaphor George Iny with the Automobile Protection Association uses is cramming for a test.

“There is a broader problem where the standards don’t correlate with the real world use,” says Iny. “The government needs to get out into the real world and make sure they do — and then hold the car makers accountable.”

It’s no surprise to those who follow the industry that cars regularly perform better in the lab than they do on the road, says Iny, who’s calling for that to change.

“A system that will allow them to get away with one lie, basically, when they certified that engine in 2008, to be compliant and scrutinized effectively until 2015 is a system that needs to be fixed,” he tells us.

In fact, there’s a good chance you’ve already been let down by advertisements from car makers when it comes to fuel efficiency, according to Iny.

“If you’ve ever bought a new car and got home, and realized it uses 20 per cent more fuel than you were told, and many people have had that experience — it’s the same equipment, and a similar test cycle,” he says.

Iny adds the improvements the industry has made in terms of collision testing over the years gives him faith the problem can be fixed, if it’s taken seriously.