Misleading MPG Figures Crackdown

Adverts showing figures for MPG (Miles per gallon) for cars are often seen as misleading as they are almost impossible to achieve the advertised figure or so people say. The newest complain listened to by the advertising standards authority was that of an Audi A3 owner who was unable to achieve the MPG figure advertised on the TV after countless attempts proving that the advert is misleading which is against advertising regulations.

Currently fuel efficiency is tested by the two different ways, this is through the extra urban test and urban test which take place in a lab. The idea is to replicate driving through a town and driving through faster conditions, during the test the car must cover a total of 1800 miles with a temperature between 20 and 30 degrees with an engine that hasn’t ran for over a few hours. On the urban test it then has to reach 31 mph during a two and a half mile run it also must decelerate, accelerate maintain speed and idle during the test much like for the extra urban test which follows immediately after the completion of the urban test where it must also stay at a 39mph average and reach a 75mph max speed for a longer distance than the urban test. The results of this are then averaged where a figure is created which is then used as a marketing tool if it produces good enough results.

The reason this is misleading is because some people consider that these MPG figures are guaranteed and they are not as they take place in a lab under pre determined conditions. This is exactly what the advertising authority wants to clamp down on, this will massively change how car companies advertise their product as MPG is often one of the biggest selling points for car manufacturers.

For now its best to note that when watching an advert of a car the MPG figure is definitely not a GUARANTEED figure.