Citroen is the first major van manufacturer to announce that it will make its fuel economy figures public after it emerged that all makers will have to undertake mpg tests on current models from January 1, 2008.

The tests, to be verified by the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA), will be required under new laws, but they fall short of requiring the figures to be published.

While most makers are still considering whether or not to put their figures in the public domain, Citroën CV operations manager Robert Handyside said: ‘Citroën has always been happy to help fleets with fuel economy figures as we have nothing to hide. We will be happy to make all our figures known to the public.’

There are concerns across the industry, however, about the way the tests will be conducted. All will be done with vehicles empty and on a rolling road.

Nick Blake, CV sales engineering manager at Mercedes-Benz, for example, said he was worried that such a test would produce a meaningless figure which would cause confusion among its customers. ‘We have several issues about this plan,’ he said.

The only major manufacturer to publish mpg figures already is Volkswagen, but its tests are carried out with a half-load aboard.

It seems probable that all the other manufacturers will now follow Citroën’s lead, but as yet most spoken to by Fleet Van said no decision had yet been made.