Selling bikes - Fuel efficiency rating requirements do not apply.

[Swoop]

Car dealers and private individuals selling vehicles through websites will risk being fined up to $5000 if they do not display available fuel consumption information.

Regulations coming into force on April 7 will require sellers to display fuel-economy labels if the information for them is available from the Government website www.fuelsaver.govt.nz.

The stickers will use a six-star rating system similar to that used for household goods such as refrigerators.

Sellers will not be in breach of the regulations if the information is not available, but the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority says the required figures for most cars manufactured since 2000 should be on the database.

The star labels can be downloaded for free.

Sellers of motorcycles and vehicles heavier than 3.5 tonnes will not be required to display energy ratings, and labels should be removed from cars once they are sold.

Sellers will not have to display labels as part of advertisements in newspapers or magazines.

As well as indicating fuel efficiency by the number of stars shown, the labels will also indicate the average number of litres of petrol or diesel used for every 100km, and give estimates of annual fuel costs.

The Weekend Herald used registration numbers of several vehicles parked outside its offices yesterday to obtain ratings from the fuelsaver website.

A 1.8 Nissan Pulsar was given four stars for expected average fuel consumption of eight litres per 100km, and a Mazda CX-7 four-wheel-drive received three stars for its 11.4 litres per 100km rating.

An estimated annual fuel cost of $2070 was given for the Pulsar, assuming it travelled 14,000km on petrol costing $1.85c a litre, which is 7c higher than the present record price for 91-octane.

The fuel cost for the Mazda was $2950.

The highest-rated vehicles were the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic electric-petrol hybrids.

Each had 5 1/2 stars, although the annual fuel cost for the Prius was $1140 compared with the Civic's $1320.

Despite the volatility of petrol prices, the energy conservation authority says all vehicle traders will be notified before labels must be modified, and this will probably be done only about once a year.

[ynot slow]

Shit the govt must think we are stupid!!!

What is hard not to realise an SS Commie or XR8 Falcon use more fuel than a bloody 1.3ltr small car.More beaurocratic crap for dealers and excuse for said beaurocrats to keep their high salaried positions,maybe a star system on how well the top management govt workers and MPs are rated.

[Fatjim]

yare slow mate.

Its not cause we're stupid, its just a way for the gummint to promote more economical cars.

[Steam]

The star system was helpful when we bought our fridge, seems like a good idea to apply it to cars.
It's almost no extra effort for the sellers, just print it out and stick it on the dashboard.

[MTW]

They been doing this in Australia for a while, I went down to the Mitsi dealer here in Chch a few years back and they had a sticker on the window of one of the cars so I asked the salesman about it...he said the stickers don't mean anything and they always remove them.

So I asked him "well, what is the fuel economy like then"...and he kicked my right foot with his foot and said "how heavy is that"!! :laugh: I thought the foot kicking was a bit over the top but he got his point across.

[Steam]

...he said the stickers don't mean anything and they always remove them.

I wonder why they always remove them. Could it be because they sell less large heavy cars with big engines when they have to show fuel-economy data?

Nah, it couldn't possibly because of that.
Car dealers are looking out for the environment and the public good, not their own wallets.

[Motu]

Just trotting along behind Kalifornia,like the rest of the world has to.Compulsory fuel economy targets have been a fact of life for any years in the US.

[MTW]

I wonder why they always remove them. Could it be because they sell less large heavy cars with big engines when they have to show fuel-economy data?

Nah, it couldn't possibly because of that.
Car dealers are looking out for the environment and the public good, not their own wallets.

This particular salesman said they removed the stickers (from cars sent from Australia) because people who purchased these vehicles complained if the vehicle didn't meet the fuel-economy data stated.

Although your probably closer to the truth of the matter, would just make the car sales job harder to sell the big cars with poor fuel-economy (relatively speaking).

[Sellout]

The one thing to remember about these fuelsaver stickers is that they are only ever useful when you are comparing apples with apples. Of course an SS or an XR8 will use more than the Prius, but when you are looking for a small car like the Prius or the Civic, it will be a nice way to compare them. Now we can add to the list of variables! Air con, power windows, oh look, it has the best economy of its class! Maybe they should have differing classes? UNder 2l, over 2l less than 3.5 etc etc

Just one more piece of paperwork for the sales team though. I am a LMVD and the software package we use has these fuelsaver tags built into it, so it is only another click with the mouse when printing out the paperwork for a car.

Even though it seems like just more Nanny State bullshite, it may actually be a useful tool. Don't quite understand why it doesn't apply to m'bikes or bike vehicles over 3.5T. Could you imagine the "Annual Fuel Cost" of a Mack or Iveco??? I'd like to see that!

[Japtwin]

well thank f**k they left bikes out, anyone who decides which bike to buy on a fuel consumption basis is surely missing the point. Notwithstanding that mine is less economically than many sedately driven lil tintops

[FROSTY]

The one thing to remember about these fuelsaver stickers is that they are only ever useful when you are comparing apples with apples. Of course an SS or an XR8 will use more than the Prius, but when you are looking for a small car like the Prius or the Civic, it will be a nice way to compare them. Now we can add to the list of variables! Air con, power windows, oh look, it has the best economy of its class! Maybe they should have differing classes? UNder 2l, over 2l less than 3.5 etc etc

Just one more piece of paperwork for the sales team though. I am a LMVD and the software package we use has these fuelsaver tags built into it, so it is only another click with the mouse when printing out the paperwork for a car.

Even though it seems like just more Nanny State bullshite, it may actually be a useful tool. Don't quite understand why it doesn't apply to m'bikes or bike vehicles over 3.5T. Could you imagine the "Annual Fuel Cost" of a Mack or Iveco??? I'd like to see that!
And their only updated once a year crap Shit a brick the fuel prices change once a fricken week.
are they gonna have within Auckland and outside Auckland costings?
--Ohh and dude haveya tried downloading the fuelsavers yet--"information not yet available " seems a common thread

[Morcs]

Yep n its supposably meant to make you feel guilt buying a low rating car.

But then im sure with this will be an excuse for driving up some prices - of the more economical cars.

[Sellout]

And their only updated once a year crap Shit a brick the fuel prices change once a fricken week.
are they gonna have within Auckland and outside Auckland costings?
--Ohh and dude haveya tried downloading the fuelsavers yet--"information not yet available " seems a common thread

Yeah, seems like everyone I've talked to about this has the same problem! There are only a handful of vehicles with data in the system presently, and it is only for vehicles newer than 2000 (Jap imports) or March 2005 (NZ New). The Govt has started the process, but someone has forgotten to get all the data together!! My vehicles are all over the 3.5T limit so don't need to worry about them myself, just thought they'd be interesting!

The paperwork says they're gonna guess-timate the average cost of fuel..... and average driving etc etc etc. They are all based on the law of averages.

This is not meant to be a deciding factor in vehicle purchases, at least not for every-day real people. I guess fleet purchases by big companies will be swayed by it for PR reasons, but for the rest of us, it's just an interesting comparison point.

[FROSTY]

yup yet the AA already do city and country cycle consumption figures--good on ya guvmint-reinvent the wheel why doncha
So Im personally up for about 100000k in fines cos some fuckwit introduced legislation before the informations available

[Sellout]

Without a doubt it is shite, but I would hope you don't actually get fined there Frosty! The bird who so nicely showed me through the system said that as long as the information was unavailable on the day the sale was processed, there was nothing that I could get in trouble for!??!!?

[FROSTY]

Without a doubt it is shite, but I would hope you don't actually get fined there Frosty! The bird who so nicely showed me through the system said that as long as the information was unavailable on the day the sale was processed, there was nothing that I could get in trouble for!??!!?
yea ohh right comeon mate how many times have ya heard that?
then some govmint expert decides they wanna make an example of somebody

[ynot slow]

yup yet the AA already do city and country cycle consumption figures--good on ya guvmint-reinvent the wheel why doncha
So Im personally up for about 100000k in fines cos some fuckwit introduced legislation before the informations available

How else can the govt justify the beaurocrats salaries if they can't prosecute the dealers,to bad if the info n/a till after legislation is introduced.

As for bikes most know a VTR/SV/YZF/GSXR bike of 1000cc will use more fuel than a GN250,but if your buying that type of bike economy doesn't matter.
But knowing that say a VFR800 is not as hungry as a GSF1250might help to make decision easier,personally fuel economy for an XR8/SS doesn't make me buy the thriftier version,but can see it making a difference when comparing say a Mitsi3.5ltr,Maxima,Camry,all around the 3-3.5ltr,even comparing with a standard Falcon or Commodore.Mind you if I was in the position to buy a new car the fuel figures wouldn't matter.

[toebug]

I'm in the process of buying a new car, and have settled on a 3 litre. Nothing to do with economy really! Bought for practicality, space, comfort and I was buying a fairly big vehicle so wanted some grunt to! Cheap economical primera for sale soon!!

The stickers will be good for some buyers though!