Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 81/02 — Fuel Consumption Labelling for Light Vehicles) 2008

made under Section 12 of the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018

Compilation No. 8

Compilation date:  20/11/2025

Includes amendments: Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule) Amendment Instrument No. 2 of 2025

Volume 1 contains Clauses 0.1–6 and the Endnotes
Volume 2  contains Appendix A
Volume 3  contains Appendix B
Volume 4  contains Appendix C

Prepared by: Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts

About this compilation

This compilation

This is a compilation of the Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 79/05 – Emission Control for Light Vehicles) 2024 that shows the text of the law as amended and in force on 20/11/2025 (the compilation date).

The notes at the end of this compilation (the endnotes) include information about amending laws and the amendment history of provisions of the compiled law.

Uncommenced amendments

The effect of uncommenced amendments is not shown in the text of the compiled law. The details of amendments made up to, but not commenced at, the compilation date are underlined in the endnotes. Any uncommenced amendments affecting the law are accessible on the Register (www.legislation.gov.au).

Application, saving and transitional provisions

If the operation of a provision or amendment of the compiled law is affected by an application, saving or transitional provision that is not included in this compilation, details are included in the endnotes.

Modifications

If the compiled law is modified by another law, the compiled law operates as modified but the modification does not amend the text of the law. Accordingly, this compilation does not show the text of the compiled law as modified. Any modifications affecting the law are accessible on the Register.

Self‑repealing provisions

If a provision of the compiled law has been repealed in accordance with a provision of the law, details are included in the endnotes.

Contents

0.1 NAME OF STANDARD...........................................4

1. SCOPE...........................................................4

2. applicability and implementation.......................................4

3. definitions........................................................4

4. requirements.......................................................4

5. exemptions and alternative procedures..................................5

6. alternative standards.................................................6

ENDNOTES..........................................................7

1.                                       NAME OF STANDARD
   1.                                 This Standard is the Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 81/02 – Fuel Consumption Labelling for Light Vehicles) 2008.
   2.                                 This Standard may also be cited as ADR 81/02.

1.                                           SCOPE
   1.                                       This vehicle standard prescribes the requirements for the measurement of vehicle fuel consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and range, and the design and application of fuel consumption labels and energy consumption labels to vehicles.
2.                                           applicability and implementation
   1.                                       This vehicle standard is applicable to all M and N category vehicles with a gross vehicle mass not exceeding 3.5 tonnes, as provided in clause 2.2.
   2.                                       Except as specified in clause 2.3, This vehicle standard applies:
      1.                                 from 1 October 2008 in relation to new model vehicles produced on or after 1 October 2008;
      2.                                 from 1 April 2009 in relation to vehicles produced on or after 1 April 2009, other than new model vehicles referred to in clause 2.2.1.
   3.                                       This vehicle standard applies from 1 March 2011 in relation to pure electric vehicles and externally chargeable hybrid electric vehicles produced on or after 1 March 2011.
   4.                                       For the purposes of clause 2.2.1, a new model vehicle is a vehicle of a model first produced with a date of manufacture on or after 1 October 2008.
   5.                                       To the extent of any inconsistency, the applicability dates specified in clause 2.2. apply in lieu of any dates specified in Appendix B or Appendix C.
   6.                                       Vehicles complying with ADR 81/03 need not comply with this vehicle standard.
3.                                           definitions
   1.                                        For the purposes of clause 2.4, ‘date of manufacture’ means, for a road vehicle entered onto the Register of Approved Vehicles under the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018, the date of that entry. Otherwise, the date the vehicle is available in Australia in a condition that will enable an ‘Identification Plate’ to be lawfully affixed to the vehicle.
4.                                           requirements
   1.                                       Every vehicle shall have applied to its windscreen a fuel consumption label or energy consumption label meeting the specifications of the appropriate label illustrated in Appendix A.
   2.                                       The fuel consumption label or energy consumption label shall be placed in a bottom corner of the front windscreen on the inside of the windscreen.
   3.                                       The fuel consumption label shall be applied to vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine only and to hybrid electric vehicles which are not externally chargeable.
   4.                                       The energy consumption label shall be applied to pure electric vehicles and to hybrid electric vehicles which are externally chargeable.
   5.                                       Subject to the requirements of paragraph 5.5 of Appendix B or Appendix C, the manufacturer shall report:
      1.                                 for vehicles specified in clause 4.3, the three fuel consumption results and three carbon dioxide emissions results for the vehicle from Part One (urban) and Part Two (extra-urban) of the Type I test and from the full (combined) Type I test, as determined in accordance with Annex 6 or Annex 8 of Appendix B or Appendix C; and
      2.                                 for vehicles specified in clause 4.4:
         1.                           the combined fuel consumption and combined carbon dioxide emissions results (if applicable) as determined in accordance with Annex 8 of Appendix B or Appendix C;
         2.                           the energy consumption results as determined in accordance with Annex 7 or Annex 8 of Appendix B or Appendix C; and
         3.                           the range as determined in accordance with Annex 9 of Appendix B or Appendix C.
   6.                                       The values displayed on the fuel consumption label shall be:
      1.                                 for fuel consumption, the urban, extra-urban and combined values reported for the vehicle under clause 4.5.1; and
      2.                                 for carbon dioxide emissions, the combined value reported for the vehicle under clause 4.5.1.
   7.                                       The values displayed on the energy consumption label shall be:
      1.                                 for energy consumption and range, the values reported for the vehicle under clause 4.5.2; and
      2.                                 if applicable, for fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, the combined value reported for the vehicle under clause 4.5.2.
5.                                           exemptions and alternative procedures
   1.                                       The following provisions of Appendix B and Appendix C are not applicable:

Section 3 Application for Approval

Section 4 Approval

Section 6 Modification and extension of approval of the approved type

Section 9 Conformity of Production

Section 10 Penalties for non-conformity of production

Section 11 Production definitely discontinued

Section 12 Names and addresses of technical services responsible for conducting approval tests and of administrative departments

Annex 1 Essential characteristics of the vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine only and information concerning the conduct of tests

Annex 2 Essential characteristics of the vehicle powered by an electric power train only and information concerning the conduct of tests

Annex 3 Essential characteristics of the vehicle powered by a hybrid electric power train and information concerning the conduct of tests

Annex 4 Communication

Annex 5 Arrangements of approval marks

1.                                       References to ‘Regulation No. 83’ in Appendix B are amended to read ‘Appendix A of ADR 79/02’.
2.                                       References to ‘Regulation No. 83’ in Appendix C are amended to read ‘Appendix A of ADR 79/03 or ADR 79/04’.

1.                                           alternative standards
   1.                                       Subject to clause 6.1.1, the values for fuel consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and range declared for the vehicle by the manufacturer in accordance with the requirements of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulation No. 101 UNIFORM PROVISIONS CONCERNING THE APPROVAL OF PASSENGER CARS POWERED BY AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE ONLY, OR POWERED BY A HYBRID ELECTRIC POWER TRAIN WITH REGARD TO THE MEASUREMENT OF THE EMISSION OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND FUEL CONSUMPTION AND/OR THE MEASUREMENT OF ELECTRIC ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND ELECTRIC RANGE, AND OF CATEGORIES M1 AND N1 VEHICLES POWERED BY AN ELECTRIC POWER TRAIN ONLY WITH REGARD TO THE MEASUREMENT OF ELECTRIC ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND ELECTRIC RANGE, are deemed to be equivalent to the values for fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and range required under clause 4.5 of this vehicle standard.
      1.                                 The versions of UN ECE Regulation 101 deemed acceptable under clause 6.1 are UN ECE Regulation 101 Revision 2.

ENDNOTES

Endnote 1—About the endnotes

The endnotes provide information about this compilation and the compiled law.

The following endnotes are included in every compilation:

Endnote 1—About the endnotes

Endnote 2—Abbreviation key

Endnote 3—Legislation history

Endnote 4—Amendment history

Abbreviation key—Endnote 2

The abbreviation key sets out abbreviations that may be used in the endnotes.

Legislation history and amendment history—Endnotes 3 and 4

Amending laws are annotated in the legislation history and amendment history.

The legislation history in endnote 3 provides information about each law that has amended (or will amend) the compiled law. The information includes commencement details for amending laws and details of any application, saving or transitional provisions that are not included in this compilation.

The amendment history in endnote 4 provides information about amendments at the provision (generally section or equivalent) level. It also includes information about any provision of the compiled law that has been repealed in accordance with a provision of the law.

Misdescribed amendments

A misdescribed amendment is an amendment that does not accurately describe how an amendment is to be made. If, despite the misdescription, the amendment can be given effect as intended, then the misdescribed amendment can be incorporated through an editorial change made under section 15V of the Legislation Act 2003.

If a misdescribed amendment cannot be given effect as intended, the amendment is not incorporated and “(md not incorp)” is added to the amendment history.

Endnote 2—Abbreviation key

Endnote 3—Legislation history

Endnote 4—Amendment history