Fleet News has partnered with the world leader in real-world vehicle emissions testing to help operators drive down fuel bills and reduce CO2 emissions with a new online car data service.

Providing a quick and easy way of comparing EQUA’s real-world fuel economy figures against the manufacturers’ official figures, the Fleet News ‘CO2 & fuel economy’ tool lets users, buyers and operators understand the true cost of running a fleet – helping them make informed buying decisions. It also helps them assess the environmental impact of each, with the CO2 emissions clearly displayed.

Covering more than 70,000 makes and models of car, the CO2 and fuel economy figures are an invaluable resource for an industry where fuel costs constitute a significant overhead.

With EQUA’s data showing that, on average, official fuel economy figures are 41% higher than those achievable in the real world, and as much as double, operators and users can make significant savings by choosing the right cars.

Nick Molden, chief executive and founder of Emissions Analytics which carries out the testing and compiles the EQUA data, said: “The current official certification test doesn’t provide results relevant to the real world – leading to sizable differences between predicted and actual running costs.

“Because it doesn’t use a laboratory-based testing, the EQUA Index provides highly accurate data, and is more realistic than even the new official fuel economy test, the ‘World harmonised Light vehicle Test Procedure’ (WLTP), set for introduction this year.

In addition to the car CO2 and fuel economy figures, Fleet News will be using the EQUA Index figures in its road tests, helping fleet decision-makers select the vehicles that reduce the company’s impact on the environment and its bottom line.

Stephen Briers, editor-in-chief for Fleet News, said: “The relevance of EQUA’s data to both fleet operators and drivers means that it’s an invaluable resource to our readers.

“Trusting the official economy figures is a lottery, and they need the tools to manage their fleets efficiently and effectively.

“With running costs and the environment high on our readers’ agenda, selecting the right vehicles to minimise fuel bills and reduce their impact on the environment will prove critical.”

> Fleet News CO2 & fuel economy tool