Latest news with #petrol
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Cars sold in Australia still use more petrol and emit more toxic fumes than advertised, new real-world testing shows
Car companies continue to sell vehicles in Australia that use much more petrol and emit more toxic fumes than advertised, despite repeated investigations identifying discrepancies in marketing. The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) on Wednesday released the latest results from its 'real-world' testing program, a four-year $14m government-funded scheme that scrutinises claims made about vehicles' fuel consumption and emissions. The country's peak motoring body said it had tested 114 popular cars, vans and utes since the program began in August 2023 and found more than 77% of these vehicles used more fuel than advertised. In its most recent study, the AAA said 25 of the 30 cars tested used more petrol than advertised, showing consumers could not rely on the fuel consumption and emissions information provided at point of sale. Eleven of the cars used 10% or more fuel on the road than they had in the manufacturers' laboratory testing which was used as the basis for advice to consumers, the AAA said. Sign up: AU Breaking News email The Hyundai Kona Hybrid recorded the greatest discrepancy – using 5.2 litres per 100km in the AAA's testing on the road, compared with its laboratory result of 3.9 litres per 100km – a difference of 33%. Hyundai declined to comment. It was followed by the Kia Stonic, which used 26% more fuel on the road; the Hyundai i30 Hybrid, which used 17%; the Toyota Fortuner, which used 16%; and the Kia Sportage Hybrid, which used 14%. Kia was contacted for comment. Toyota declined to comment. The AAA said its latest round of testing also found six of the 30 vehicles produced noxious emissions above current Australian regulatory limits, despite these same vehicle types having met those limits in lab tests. These were the Toyota Fortuner, the Suzuki Vitara, the BMW X1, the Ford Ranger, the Toyota Hi-Ace LWB and the Toyota Hi-Ace SLWB. BMW and Ford were contacted for comment. Suzuki said it was unable to respond by deadline. The AAA's managing director, Michael Bradley, said it was becoming clear carmakers continued to optimise their vehicles' performance for lab testing and 'too often' overstated their improvements in fuel use and environmental performance. 'Some vehicles perform as advertised, but most do not,' he said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The AAA said its testing program will expand in scope from August when it began releasing the results of its electric vehicle testing, checking the distance they could travel on a single charge in 'real driving conditions'. Bradley said 'range anxiety' continued to be a significant barrier to the uptake of electric vehicles and that the AAA hoped its results would give Australians greater confidence in buying this type of car. The organisation said 'independent, real-world data' was becoming increasingly important, after the introduction of the federal government's national vehicle efficiency standard. Introduced by the Albanese government in its first term, the standard is designed to bring more fuel-efficient cars into the market by penalising manufacturers of high-polluting vehicles if they exceed an emissions cap. The AAA's testing scheme was put into place after a 2015 scandal involving Volkswagen, when it was found the manufacturer had misled consumers who may have deliberately bought vehicles based on incorrect claims of lower emissions. The AAA says it tests cars on roads in and around Geelong, using strict protocols to ensure fuel consumption and emissions results are repeatable and to minimise the influence of human factors such as driving style and variable traffic flows.
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- Sky News
Apollo charges in for stake in £7bn petrol retailer Motor Fuel Group
Why you can trust Sky News The investment giant Apollo Global Management is close to snapping up a stake in Motor Fuel Group (MFG), one of Britain's biggest petrol forecourt empires, in a deal valuing it about £7bn. Sky News has learnt that Apollo could announce as soon as Thursday that it has agreed to buy a large minority stake in MFG from Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), its current majority-owner. The transaction will come after several months of talks involving CD&R and a range of prospective investors in a company which is rapidly expanding its presence in the electric vehicle charging infrastructure arena. Banking sources said there had been a "large appetite" to invest in the next phase of MFG's growth, with CD&R having built the company from a mid-sized industry player over the course of more than a decade. Lazard and Royal Bank of Canada are understood to be advising on the deal. A stake of roughly 25-30% in MFG has been expected to change hands during the process, with Apollo's investment said to be broadly in that range. MFG is the largest independent forecourt operator in the UK, having grown from 360 sites at the point of CD&R's acquisition of the company. It trades under a number of brands, including Esso and Shell. CD&R, which also owns the supermarket chain Morrisons, united MFG's petrol forecourt businesses with that of the grocer in a £2.5bn transaction, which completed nearly 18 months ago. MFG now comprises roughly 1,200 sites across Britain, with earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of about £700m anticipated in this financial year. It is now focused on its role in the energy transition, with hundreds of electric vehicle charging points installed across its network, and growing its high-margin foodservice offering. MFG has outlined plans to invest £400m in EV charging, and is now the second-largest Ultra Rapid player in the UK - which delivers 100 miles of range in ten minutes - with close to 1000 chargers. It aims to grow that figure to 3000 by 2030. CD&R, which declined to comment on Wednesday afternoon, will retain a controlling stake in MFG after any stake sale, while Morrisons also holds a 20% interest in the company. Bankers expect that the minority deal with Apollo will be followed a couple of years later with an initial public offering on the London stock market. CD&R invested in MFG in 2015, making its investment a long-term one by the standards of most private equity holding periods. The sale of a large minority stake at a £7bn enterprise valuation will crystallise a positive return for the US-based buyout firm. CD&R and its investors have already been paid hundreds of millions of pounds in dividends from MFG, having seen its earnings grow 14-fold since the original purchase. Morrisons' rival, Asda, has undertaken a similar transaction with its petrol forecourts, with EG Group acquiring the Leeds-based grocer's forecourt network. EG Group, which along with Asda is controlled by private equity firm TDR Capital, is now being prepared for a listing in the US.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dear Richard Madeley: My otherwise lovely neighbour is playing fast and loose with my lawnmower
Dear Richard, For the second time this year, I've lent my lawnmower to my next-door neighbour, only to have to remind him to give it back, and to find on receiving it that he hasn't topped up the petrol. Perhaps he thinks it runs on magic beans. To make matters worse, this time, one of the blades was chipped. I don't want to be 'that guy' but I am feeling miffed. I didn't perform a close inspection of the mower when he brought it back so didn't notice or mention these issues then – is it too late to do so now? And should I just withhold it in future, or stipulate conditions? I'm mortified by awkward exchanges at the best of times; plus this guy is in other respects an exemplary neighbour – friendly, minds his own business, takes in deliveries, waters the garden when we're away, and so on. What's the best way to deal with this?– G, Surrey Dear G, If you're proposing risking falling out with a good, reliable, helpful neighbour over a few tablespoons of petrol and a chipped lawnmower blade (which you may have been the one to damage), then frankly you need your head examining. The value of good neighbourly relations is beyond rubies. Have you ever lived next door to someone with whom you've had a falling out, G? Talk to someone who has. It can poison daily life beyond recovery. As I wrote here only last week, it's worth performing back-handsprings through hoops to stay on good terms with the folks next door. Right, let's sweep up this hill of beans. First, the chipped blade. As you yourself say, you didn't inspect the machine when it was returned, so how do you know you haven't damaged it since? Or, assuming you didn't cast your eagle eye over the thing prior to lending it to this guy, that it wasn't already chipped? Answer: you don't. So drop it. Now, the fuel. I don't use a petrol mower but I just checked and the ones you push around burn about half a litre per hour. The bigger things you ride use about a litre. That's roughly 67 pence worth for the first, under £1.50 for the second. G, G, G. Come on. Are you really going to present this bloke with a bill for 67p? How would you feel if he made a storage charge for the parcels he takes in for you when you're away? And yes, it must be irritating if you can't use it until you've filled it up, but unless you're riding it to the petrol station and back surely you have some petrol in the shed or garage, and it's just a matter of topping it up? I have one word for you, G: perspective. I strongly recommend you get some. You can find more of Richard Madeley's advice here or submit your own dilemma below. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Dear Richard Madeley: My otherwise lovely neighbour is playing fast and loose with my lawnmower
Dear Richard, For the second time this year, I've lent my lawnmower to my next-door neighbour, only to have to remind him to give it back, and to find on receiving it that he hasn't topped up the petrol. Perhaps he thinks it runs on magic beans. To make matters worse, this time, one of the blades was chipped. I don't want to be 'that guy' but I am feeling miffed. I didn't perform a close inspection of the mower when he brought it back so didn't notice or mention these issues then – is it too late to do so now? And should I just withhold it in future, or stipulate conditions? I'm mortified by awkward exchanges at the best of times; plus this guy is in other respects an exemplary neighbour – friendly, minds his own business, takes in deliveries, waters the garden when we're away, and so on. What's the best way to deal with this? – G, Surrey Dear G, If you're proposing risking falling out with a good, reliable, helpful neighbour over a few tablespoons of petrol and a chipped lawnmower blade (which you may have been the one to damage), then frankly you need your head examining. The value of good neighbourly relations is beyond rubies. Have you ever lived next door to someone with whom you've had a falling out, G? Talk to someone who has. It can poison daily life beyond recovery. As I wrote here only last week, it's worth performing back-handsprings through hoops to stay on good terms with the folks next door. Right, let's sweep up this hill of beans. First, the chipped blade. As you yourself say, you didn't inspect the machine when it was returned, so how do you know you haven't damaged it since? Or, assuming you didn't cast your eagle eye over the thing prior to lending it to this guy, that it wasn't already chipped? Answer: you don't. So drop it. Now, the fuel. I don't use a petrol mower but I just checked and the ones you push around burn about half a litre per hour. The bigger things you ride use about a litre. That's roughly 67 pence worth for the first, under £1.50 for the second. G, G, G. Come on. Are you really going to present this bloke with a bill for 67p? How would you feel if he made a storage charge for the parcels he takes in for you when you're away? And yes, it must be irritating if you can't use it until you've filled it up, but unless you're riding it to the petrol station and back surely you have some petrol in the shed or garage, and it's just a matter of topping it up? I have one word for you, G: perspective. I strongly recommend you get some.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
A14 CLOSED in both directions after two-lorry crash
The A14 is closed in both directions after a lorry carrying petrol was involved in a crash. Emergency services were called to the westbound carriageway near Stowmarket at about 7.55am on Monday. A spokesman for Suffolk police said the westbound carriageway has been closed at Claydon, while eastbound the A14 is closed at Tot Hill. READ MORE: Ed Sheeran teases more future shows in Ipswich The crash involves two lorries and there has been a large petrol spill. The fire service and paramedics have also been called, but the extent of any injuries is not yet clear. According to the AA Traffic Map, there are severe delays in the area.
