Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 81/03 – Energy Consumption Labelling for Light Vehicles) 2025

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 81/03 – Energy Consumption Labelling for Light Vehicles) 2025

Made under section 12 of the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018

Explanatory Statement

Approved by the Hon Catherine King MP, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government

November 2025

Contents

1. legislative Authority

2. Purpose and operation

3. MATTERS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

4. CONSULTATION

5. Regulatory Impact

6. STATEMENT OF COMPATIBILITY WITH HUMAN RIGHTS

1.                        legislative Authority
   1.                       National Road Vehicle Standards

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 81/03 – Energy Consumption Labelling for Light Vehicles) 2025 is made under section 12 of the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (the Act). Section 12 of the Act allows the Minister to determine National Road Vehicle Standards.

1.                       Exemption from Sunsetting

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 81/03 – Energy Consumption Labelling for Light Vehicles) 2025 is exempt from the sunsetting provisions of the Legislation Act 2003.

Source of the Exemption

A standard made under section 12 of the Act is not subject to the sunsetting provisions of section 50 of the Legislation (Exemptions and Other Matters) Act 2003 through section 12 of the Legislation (Exemptions and Other Matters) Regulation 2015 (table item 56C). A similar exemption was previously granted in respect of national road vehicle standards made under section 7 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 (MVSA) (item 40, section 12 of the Legislation (Exemptions and Other Matters) Regulation 2015). This exemption is important to ensure that Australian Design Rule (ADR) 81/03 continues to remain in force, and available to regulators and industry.

Justification

It is appropriate that standards made under section 12 of the Act, also known as the ADRs, remain enduring and effective to regulate ongoing road worthiness of vehicles throughout their useful life and reduce regulatory burden on vehicle manufacturers.

Intergovernmental dependencies

The exemption concerns ADRs which facilitate the establishment and operation of the intergovernmental vehicle standard regime that Commonwealth, State and Territory governments rely on to regulate the safety of vehicles on public roads.

The Commonwealth uses the ADRs as the basis on which approvals to supply types of road vehicles to the market are granted under the Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019. States and territories use the ADRs as the primary criteria on which vehicles are assessed for road worthiness. This ‘in-service’ aspect is dependent on the date of manufacture, which determines the applicable version of the ADRs against which the vehicle can be assessed. The ability to rely on national standards is particularly relevant given the long service life of vehicles – the average age of vehicles in Australia is 12.1 years.

While the ADRs are regularly updated to reflect changes in technology, it is not possible to apply these new standards retrospectively to vehicles that are already in use. With former ADRs kept on the Federal Register of Legislation, State and Territory governments can use them to ensure vehicles continue to comply with the ADRs that were in force when they were first supplied to the market.

In the event that the Commonwealth could not justify the maintenance of the ADRs, State and Territory governments would be compelled to create their own vehicle standards. Whilst this could mean adopting the substance of the lapsed ADRs as an interim measure, the differing needs and agendas of each State and Territory government may result in variations to in-service regulations. Having different vehicle standards across the states and territories would make the scheme operate contrary to the underlying policy intent of the Act, which is to set nationally consistent performance based standards.

Commercial dependencies

The effect on vehicle manufacturers to redesign existing models to comply with new ADRs would present a burden and be a costly and onerous exercise. Manufacturers should not be expected to continually go back to redesign existing vehicles. Furthermore, ongoing product recalls to comply with new ADRs would undermine consumer confidence with significant financial impact to manufacturers. This exemption allows vehicle manufacturers to focus their efforts to ensure new models supplied to the market continue to comply.

Review of Australian Design Rules

Despite exemption from sunsetting, ADRs are subject to regular reviews, as resources permit, and when developments in vehicle technology necessitate updates to requirements.

Reviews of the ADRs ensure the ongoing effectiveness of a nationally consistent system of technical regulations for vehicle design, which are closely aligned, wherever appropriate, with leading international standards such as United Nations regulations. This enables a rapid introduction of the latest technological advances into the Australian market, while also contributing to the industry’s cost competitiveness in the domestic market.

1.                        Purpose and operation
   1.                  Overview of the ADR

ADR 81/03 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 light vehicles.

Clause 3.1 states that the ADR applies to all passenger cars (MA category vehicles), forward control passenger vehicles (MB category vehicles), off-road vehicles (MC category vehicles), light buses (MD category vehicles) and light goods vehicles (NA category) with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) up to 3,500kg.

Clause 3.1.1 states that the ADR will apply to all new model vehicles from 1 July 2026. This is to give manufacturers planning new model releases in 2026 sufficient time to submit the information required to obtain a new vehicle type approval as required under the Road Vehicle Standards Rules and make changes to their production lines to incorporate the new label.

Clause 3.1.2 states that the ADR will apply to all models supplied from 1 July 2028. This is intended to align with the commencement of Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 79/05 – Emission Control for Light Vehicles) 2025 (ADR 79/05), which mandates Euro 6d equivalent noxious emission standards and uses the same test procedures as this ADR.

Clause 3.2 states that the ADR also applies to all passenger cars (MA category vehicles), forward control passenger vehicles (MB category vehicles), off-road vehicles (MC category vehicles), light buses (MD category vehicles) and medium goods vehicles (NB1 category) with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) up to 4,500kg, if the vehicle is fitted with label containing information on the vehicle’s fuel consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and/or battery range. This will enable these vehicles to be listed on the Australian Government’s Green Vehicle Guide website to provide additional information to consumers on the fuel efficiency and emissions of these vehicles.

Clause 3.3 states that a ‘new model’ is a vehicle model first produced with a ‘Date of Manufacture’ on or after the agreed date in clause 3.1.1 (1 July 2026).

Clause 4 specifies how the vehicle categories and technical terms used in the ADR are to be defined.

Clause 4.1 states that Supporting Information has the same meaning as in the Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019.

Clause 4.2 states that all other terms used in the ADR have the same meaning as in the Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 111/00 – Advanced Emission Control for Light Vehicles) 2024 (ADR 111/00). This ADR is the primary testing standard that underpins the figures reported on the label.

Clause 4.3 states that if a term is not defined in ADR 111/00, it has the same meaning as in the Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule – Definitions and Vehicle Categories) 2005.

1.                  Design Requirements

Clause 5.1 requires all vehicles to have their fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions tested in accordance with ADR 111/00 or one of the equivalent UN, European or US standard listed in clause 7.

Clause 5.2 requires all electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to also have their energy consumption and battery range tested in accordance with ADR 111/00 or one of the equivalent UN, European or US standards listed in clause 7.

Clause 5.3 specifies the test results that manufacturers must record in their Supporting Information.

Clauses 5.3.1 and 5.3.2 require manufacturers to record the fuel consumption values declared and measured for the vehicle over the complete test cycle.

Clauses 5.3.3 and 5.3.4 require manufacturers to record the carbon dioxide emissions values declared and measured for the vehicle over the complete test cycle.

Clause 5.3.5 also requires manufacturers supplying a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle to record the fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions values declared and measured for the vehicle over the complete test cycle in charge sustaining mode (when the engine is running to charge the battery). It also requires the manufacturer to record the battery range and electric energy consumption values declared and measured for the vehicle over the complete test cycle.

Clause 5.3.6 also requires manufacturers supplying a pure electric vehicle to record the battery range and energy consumption values declared and measured for the vehicle over the complete test cycle.

Clause 5.3.7 requires manufacturers supplying a vehicle type covered by the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard Act 2024 (NVES Act) to report an ‘NEDC equivalent’ carbon dioxide emissions value calculated in accordance with the test cycle conversion protocol specified in Appendix B or the alternative procedures specified in clause 6, which refer to the NEDC test cycle adopted in United Nations Regulation No. 101. Manufacturers are required to report this value on the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) to comply with the NVES Act, as the targets legislated for 2025 to 2029 are based on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC).

Clause 5.4 requires vehicles to be fitted with an Energy Consumption Label that complies with the requirements of clauses 5.5 to 5.7 and Appendix A. These clauses specify the technical requirements of the label.

Clause 5.5 states that the label must be fitted to the bottom left corner (passenger side) from the inside of the vehicle’s windscreen.

Clause 5.6 specifies the figures that must be displayed on the label for all vehicles. These are the fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions declared in accordance with the lab test.

Clause 5.6 specifies the additional figures that must be displayed on the label for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. These are the energy consumption and battery range values declared in accordance with the lab test.

1.                  Exemptions and Alternative Procedures

Alternative Procedures

Clause 6.1 permits manufacturers to test a vehicle in accordance with UN Regulation No. 101 to determine the emissions number reported on the RAV to comply with the NVES Act, instead of using the procedure specified in Appendix B.

1.                  Alternative Standards

Clause 7 specifies alternative international standards vehicle manufacturers may use to determine the fuel consumption, energy consumption and battery range values required by this ADR.

Clause 7.1 permits manufacturers to report fuel consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and range values displayed on the label based on testing to UN Regulation No. 154. This Regulation adopts the same testing requirements specified in ADR 111/00.

Clause 7.2 permits manufacturers to report fuel consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and range values displayed on the label based on testing to EU Regulation 2017/1151. This Regulation implements the Euro 6d and Euro 6e requirements in the European Union, which use the same testing requirements specified in ADR 111/00.

Clause 7.3 permits manufacturers to report fuel consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and range values displayed on the label based on testing to EU Regulation 2025/1706. This Regulation implements the Euro 7 requirements in the European Union, which use the same testing requirements specified in ADR 111/00.

Clause 7.3 permits manufacturers to report derived five-cycle fuel consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and range values displayed on the label based on testing to Title 40, Part 600 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations. This Regulation adopts equivalent testing requirements to those specified in ADR 111/00.

Appendix A specifies the dimensions, colours, fonts and text requirements of the energy consumption label fitted to the vehicle’s windscreen. The dimensions, colours and fonts required are aligned with those required by the current energy consumption label mandated by ADR 81/02.

However, the text of the label has been updated from the text used on the label mandated by ADR 81/02 to clarify terms such as CO2 emissions, energy consumption and range and make it clearer that results will depend on how the vehicle is used. It also has a stronger referral to the Green Vehicle Guide website to compare vehicle and estimate fuel costs and emissions

Appendix B specifies the procedure for calculating carbon dioxide emission values reported on the RAV to comply with the NVES Act. This procedure is required because the NVES targets for 2025 to 2029 are based on the NEDC, as this was the testing standard mandated at the time the NVES Act was passed by the Parliament in May 2024 and this ADR requires testing to a stricter standard.

This procedure enables new vehicle models tested to stricter standards mandated by ADR 79/05 and this vehicle standard to supply the emissions number required to comply with the NVES Act without retesting to the NEDC test procedure specified in ADR 81/02. This also ensures the NVES Act is competitively neutral and does not unintentionally apply a more stringent emissions target to vehicles tested to stricter standards.

1.                        MATTERS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Section 12 of the Act allows the Minister to incorporate a broad range of documents, both as in force at a particular time and as in force from time to time, when making national vehicle standards. This ensures that Australia’s legislative framework is well-prepared for future developments in the international road vehicle space. ADR 81/03 makes use of this provision as specified below.

1.                  Other Legislative Instruments

Clause 4.1 refers to the Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019. These rules specify the administrative requirements and conditions for suppliers to obtain an approval to supply a vehicle to the Australian market for use in transport.

Clauses 4.2, 4.3, 5.1 and 5.2 refer to Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 111/00 – Advanced Emission Control for Light Vehicles) 2024. This vehicle standard adopts fuel consumption and emissions testing requirements and terminology based on the Worldwide harmonised Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) adopted in UN Regulation No. 154.

Clause 4.3 also refers to the Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule Definitions and Vehicle Categories) 2005 (which may also be cited as the Australian Design Rule – Definitions and Vehicle Categories). This sets out definitions for many terms used in the ADRs, including the vehicle categories used in ADR applicability tables.

The NVES Act and the ADRs may be freely accessed online through the Federal Register of Legislation.  The website is www.legislation.gov.au.

In accordance with subsection 12 of the Act, each of these ADRs are incorporated as in force or existing from time to time.  The ellipses (…) indicates the version(s) (e.g. 00, 01 etc.) of the ADR in force at the time.

1.                  International Vehicle Regulations

United Nations Regulations and/or Resolutions

Clause 6.1 refers to 01 series of amendments to United Nations 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. This UN Regulation specifies a laboratory test for measuring fuel consumption, carbon dioxide emission, electric energy consumption and battery range based on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). This is because the NVES Act targets for 2025 to 2029 are based on the NEDC, as this was the testing standard mandated at the time the NVES Act was passed by the Parliament in May 2024.

Clause 7.1 and Clause 2 of Appendix B refer to United Nations Regulation No. 154 - Uniform provisions concerning the approval of light duty passenger and commercial vehicles with regards to criteria emissions, emissions of carbon dioxide and fuel consumption and/or the measurement of electric energy consumption and electric range (WLTP) as an acceptable alternative standard for measuring fuel consumption, energy consumption and range. This is the current UN Regulation for measuring fuel consumption, emissions, energy consumption and battery range based on testing to the WLTP.

UN Regulations can be freely accessed online through the UN World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29). The WP.29 website is www.unece.org/trans/main/welcwp29.html.

In accordance with subsections 14(1)(b) and 14(2) of the Legislation Act 2003, each of these UN documents are incorporated as in force on the date this national road vehicle standard is made.

European Union (EU) Regulations

Clause 7.2 and Clause 2 of Appendix B refer to Commission Regulation (EC) No 2017/1151 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 1 June 2017 supplementing Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council on type-approval of motor vehicles with respect to emissions from light passenger and commercial vehicles (Euro 5 and Euro 6) and on access to vehicle repair and maintenance information, amending Directive 2007/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Commission Regulation (EC) No 692/2008 and Commission Regulation (EU) No 1230/2012 and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 692/2008 as an acceptable alternative standard for measuring fuel consumption, energy consumption and range. This is the European regulation adopting the ‘Euro 6d’ and ‘Euro 6e’ emission requirements for light duty vehicles, which also mandate the measurement of fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and range in accordance with the WLTP.

Clause 7.3 and Clause 2 of Appendix B refer to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1706 of 25 July 2025 laying down rules, procedures and testing methodologies for the application of Regulation (EU) 2024/1257 as regards exhaust and evaporative emission type-approval of vehicles of categories M1 and N1 and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/683. This is the European regulation adopting the ‘Euro 7’ emission requirements for light duty vehicles, which also mandate the measurement of fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and range in accordance with the WLTP.

These EU regulations may be freely accessed online through the EUR-Lex website. The English version of the EUR-Lex website eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html?locale=en.

In accordance with subsections 14(1)(b) and 14(2) of the Legislation Act 2003, the EU regulation is incorporated as in force on the date this national road vehicle standard is made.

United States Code of Federal Regulations (US CFR)

Clause 7.4 and Clause 2 of Appendix B refer to Title 40 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations, Part 600 – Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas Exhaust Emissions of Motor Vehicles. This is the equivalent US standards for the fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and range.

The US CFR may be freely accessed online at https://www.ecfr.gov/.

In accordance with subsections 14(1)(b) and 14(2) of the Legislation Act 2003, this standard is incorporated as in force on the date this national road vehicle standard is made.

1.                        CONSULTATION
   1.                  General Consultation Arrangements

It has been longstanding practice to consult widely on proposed new or amended vehicle standards. For many years, there has been active cooperation between the Commonwealth and the State/Territory governments, as well as consultation with industry and consumer groups. Much of the consultation takes place within institutional arrangements established for this purpose.

1.                  Specific Consultation Arrangements

This ADR was developed in consultation with a dedicated working group established by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts comprising vehicle manufacturers, technical experts and peak bodies representing motorists and dealers. This working group met 1 to 2 times per month between August 2024 and September 2025. Additional consultation on the proposed labelling requirements was also undertaken with consumer groups in October 2025.

An exposure draft of ADR 81/03 was provided to international stakeholders for a 30-day comment period under a Technical Barriers to Trade Notification to the World Trade Organization. This exposure draft was also provided to government and peak bodies involved in the department’s Vehicle Standards Consultative Forum.

1.                        Regulatory Impact

As ADR 81/03 only requires manufacturers to report information from testing they are required to perform to comply with ADR 79/05, the Office of Impact Analysis (OIA) has advised that a detailed analysis is not required (reference OIA25-09844).

1.                        STATEMENT OF COMPATIBILITY WITH HUMAN RIGHTS

The following Statement is prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

1.                  Overview

ADR 81/03 specifies requirements for measuring and reporting information on a vehicle’s fuel consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and range.

1.                  Human Rights Implications

ADR 81/03 does not engage any of the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

1.                  Conclusion

ADR 81/03 is compatible with human rights, as it does not raise any human rights issues.