Frequently Asked Questions
Green vehicles
What is a green vehicle?
A green vehicle is an environmentally friendly vehicle that uses less fuel and produces low or no emissions that impact on the environment and the air we breathe.
The Green Vehicle Guide ranks vehicles in order of lowest tailpipe CO2 emissions.
What are the different types of environmentally friendly vehicles?
Environmentally friendly vehicles can be:
- Fuel efficient vehicles – allow you to drive greater distances using less fuel, which is usually measured in litres/100km
- Electric vehicles – cars or other vehicles with motors that are powered by electricity rather than liquid fuels and are plugged in to charge
- Hybrid vehicles – powered by a combination of liquid fuel and electricity. Some hybrids need to be plugged in to charge the battery, while others are charged by the combustion engine and energy captured by a ‘regenerative braking’ system.
What is an electric vehicle?
There are different types of electric vehicles, including:
- Pure electric vehicles (EVs) (also known as battery electric vehicles (BEVs)) – which use a battery-powered electric motor only
- Traditional hybrid vehicles – which use an internal combustion engine (usually petrol or diesel) with an electric motor and small battery to power the vehicle.
- Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) – use an internal combustion engine or an electric motor with a larger battery, which allows drivers to travel short distances powered by the electric motor only.
Some manufacturers advertise vehicles as being mild-hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs). MHEVs use an internal combustion engine to propel the vehicle, but may have a small electric motor – or energy-capturing technology like regenerative braking – to improve the vehicle’s overall performance or efficiency. On the Green Vehicle Guide, the fuel type for these vehicles will appear like typical combustion engine vehicles (e.g. ‘Petrol 95RON’, ‘Diesel’). If the electric motor can propel the vehicle, these vehicles will appear on the Green Vehicle Guide as a plugless hybrid (e.g. ‘Electric/Petrol 95RON’).
Some manufacturers are also developing range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs), or extended range electric vehicles (EREVs). These types of vehicles use a battery powered motor to operate like pure EVs most of the time, but have a small internal combustion engine (usually petrol or diesel, but may also be ethanol based) that operates as a generator, to recharge the electric motor when battery capacity runs low. On the Green Vehicle Guide, the fuel type for these vehicles will be listed as ‘plug-in electric/petrol’ or ‘plug-in electric/diesel’.
How do I know my car is environmentally friendly?
Environmentally friendly cars use less fuel and generate fewer or zero emissions in the air while running when compared to conventional internal combustion engines, resulting in a smaller carbon footprint and impact on the environment.
They typically use an alternative form of propulsion in addition to, or instead of petrol or diesel. Electric vehicles are an example of an environmentally friendly car that produces zero tailpipe emissions while driving.
How do I know if my car is fuel efficient?
Fuel-efficient cars use less fuel to travel a certain distance so you can travel a higher number of kilometres for fewer litres of fuel – and spend less on fuel.
In general, cars that uses 4 litres or less per 100 kilometres are more fuel-efficient than average.
What should I consider when buying a green vehicle?
If you’re thinking about buying a green vehicle you should first consider:
- Your driving needs and lifestyle. For example, how frequently, and where, you will refuel or recharge your vehicle regularly.
- Whether you want to save on fuel or other, running costs, servicing costs and purchase price. Green vehicles may cost less to fuel and run over a vehicle’s lifecycle but may have a higher upfront purchase cost.
- Whether you want a more environmentally friendly vehicle. There are an increasing number of low and zero emissions vehicle makes and models being made available to Australian consumers.
Once you’ve decided to buy a green vehicle, you will need to decide whether an electric or hybrid, or other fuel efficient vehicle, will best suit your needs. Below are some considerations for each.
| Electric and hybrid vehicles | Fuel efficient vehicles |
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How and where can I charge an EV?
EVs can be charged using private or public chargers subject to vehicle and property specifications. Some maps-platforms will allow you to search for charging stations along your driving route.
The Electric Vehicle Council provides information on public charging stations in Australia, and their providers.
They can also be charged by plugging into any standard power point and using power from the electricity grid. This is the slowest method of charging, but it means you can charge at home where you park overnight, at work, or anywhere you can access a power point.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water provide information to support EV owners in understanding their options to charge their vehicle, or share electricity with their house, electrical equipment, or the electricity grid.
Are green vehicles cheaper?
Driving a more fuel-efficient vehicle can help you save money on fuel and other running costs.
While they are generally more expensive to buy upfront, they are cheaper to run and service.
Prices are also expected to keep trending down as production and battery costs decrease and driving range increases, making the overall ownership cost more competitive.
Are electric vehicles really better for the environment?
Electric vehicles are a better and more sustainable driving choice than equivalent sized petrol/diesel vehicles, even when accounting for emissions produced from electricity generation.
Driving an electric vehicle can help improve air quality, reduce CO2 emissions, decrease noise pollution, and reduce Australia’s dependence on imported oil.
Electric vehicles are much cleaner than petrol and diesel cars, which produce emissions from the tailpipe while driving and from the production and distribution of fuel.
The Green Vehicle Guide
What cars are included in the Green Vehicle Guide?
The Green Vehicle Guide has information on the environmental performance of light passenger and commercial vehicles sold in Australia since 2004.
Fuel consumption data for vehicles sold from 1986-2003 vehicle models is available in the Search Older Vehicles section. This data is reported separately as it is based on an older test, which means the figures are not directly comparable with those reported for post-2004 vehicles.
Why isn’t my vehicle listed on the Green Vehicle Guide?
The Green Vehicle Guide relies on authorised representatives of manufacturers to upload and maintain vehicle data on the Green Vehicle Guide voluntarily. For this reason, data for some vehicle models sold in Australia may not be available on the Green Vehicle Guide.
Data for vehicle models not sold in Australia by the manufacturer (such as Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles) is not available on the Green Vehicle Guide as these vehicles are not required to comply with the fuel consumption and emissions testing requirements that apply to new vehicles.
If you are having trouble locating your vehicle, or would like to request data for a vehicle not listed, please contact us .
Are motorcycles and scooters on the Green Vehicle Guide?
No. Verifiable fuel consumption and emissions data for motorcycle and scooters sold in Australia is not currently available. This is because motorcycles and scooters are not required to supply fuel consumption and emissions data to comply with the Australian Design Rules.
Are heavy vehicles on the Green Vehicle Guide?
No. Verifiable fuel consumption and CO2 emissions data for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) has not typically been available, because heavy vehicles have not been required to report their fuel consumption or CO2 emissions to comply with the Australian Design Rules.
From 1 July 2026, some vehicles with a GVM over 3.5 tonnes may be fitted with an energy consumption label. For more information, see our Fuel Consumption Label page.
Where does the data come from?
The data for the Green Vehicle Guide is supplied by authorised representatives of vehicle manufacturers.
Vehicle Data is sourced from vehicle testing that manufacturers are required to perform to comply with the Australian Design Rules for emissions and fuel consumption labelling.
Data submitted to the Green Vehicle Guide is verified against certification data submitted by manufacturers to comply with the Australian Design Rules. To ensure vehicles are reporting accurately, the department conducts audits of evidence submitted to demonstrate compliance with the Australian Design Rules on a risk assessed basis.
Is the information on the Green Vehicle Guide the same as on new car windscreen labels?
Yes. Results on the Green Vehicle Guide for fuel consumption and tailpipe CO2 emissions are based on the same data displayed on windscreen fuel consumption labels.
Where availabe the Green Vehicle Guide also provides information on:
- Urban and extra-urban CO2
- The air pollution standard a vehicle meets in Australia
- Estimates of fuel lifecycle CO2 emissions
- Estimates of annual fuel costs
- Estimates of annual tailpipe CO2 emissions
- Stationary noise.
Learn more about the Fuel consumption label.
How accurate is the fuel or energy consumption information?
Fuel or energy consumption information is based on a laboratory test defined in the Australian Design Rule for fuel or energy consumption labelling .
These tests cannot and do not simulate all possible real-world driving conditions. This means the emissions and fuel consumption you may experience on the road will vary due to traffic and road conditions, the condition of your vehicle and how you use it.
Visit our page on Vehicle Emissions to understand how this information is produced, and how emissions from vehicles impact the environment.
Read the Green Vehicle Guide tips for greener driving to help minimise fuel consumption and emissions.
Can I provide data to the Green Vehicle Guide website?
If you are an authorised representative of a vehicle manufacturer supplying a vehicle approved for sale in Australia, you can provide data to the Green Vehicle Guide. Please contact us to register for an account.
Can I use data from the Green Vehicle Guide for business or research purposes?
The Green Vehicle Guide has a third party web service that can be used to analyse our data for business or research purposes. To request access to this service, please contact us.
Emissions and pollution
What are CO2 emissions?
CO2 emissions are the main greenhouse gas produced by motor vehicles. Greenhouse gases can trap additional heat from the sun, which can contribute to climate change.
Vehicles with a lower CO2 number produce less CO2 emissions. A vehicle's level of CO2 emissions is closely related to the amount of fuel it consumes.
See more information about vehicle emissions .
What is the Top CO2 Performers list?
The Green Vehicle Guide’s Top CO2 Performing Vehicles list ranks vehicles from the Green Vehicle Guide database by their combined tailpipe CO2 in grams per kilometre (lowest to highest), then energy consumption in Watt hours per kilometre (lowest to highest), then electric range in kilometres (highest to lowest). These vehicles typically have a fuel type of ‘electric only’, meaning they are pure electric vehicles (EVs, BEVs, or PEVs). This is because electric vehicles can produce zero tailpipe emissions, and are usually designed to deliver the greatest energy consumption efficiency and longest electric-range.
What is the "Euro" level / Air Pollution Standard?
The Euro level listed for each vehicle on the Green Vehicle Guide indicates the air pollution standard that the vehicle meets in Australia.
These standards regulate emissions that cause smog and impact human health rather than greenhouse gas emissions such as CO2.
A higher Euro level indicates a vehicle produces lower levels of emissions that impact on the quality of air we breathe.
Under the Australian Design Rules, all vehicles currently supplied to the Australian market must meet a minimum standard known as Euro 5.
The Australian Government has mandated stricter noxious emissions standards for newly supplied light vehicle models from 1 December 2025, and new units of existing vehicle models supplied from 1 July 2028. Vehicles that comply with these standards must meet a minimum standard known as Euro6d, with vehicles meeting the equivalent US ‘Tier 3’ standards also accepted.