Research: Dutch car dealers sloppy with consumption information

Car dealers are unclear

Car dealers have a duty of information: they must inform the buyer correctly and may not withhold or distort information. But of the 127 dealers checked, 50 went wrong. Often the energy label on a car was missing; sometimes the wrong label was attached. Lists of consumption and emission data were also regularly found to be missing. The result: the consumer has difficulty assessing which car is really economical. The ILT warned the dealers in writing and later conducted re-inspections.

Why those labels are important

The energy label may seem like a detail – a colored sticker with a letter – but it makes it clear at a glance how much fuel a car guzzles and in which economy category it falls. Useful for those trying to choose between two comparable models, and also a means of making cleaner cars more attractive.

New rules on the way

However, there is another problem: electric and hydrogen cars now automatically all fall into the most fuel-efficient class A. This sounds logical, but makes mutual comparison impossible. That is why in 2026 there will be a renewed method that also differentiates between emission-free vehicles. That way, a buyer will soon be better able to see which electric car uses energy more efficiently.

Also read: Top 10 most fuel-efficient cars of 2025

Also see: Buying a used Tesla: tips