Link Digital congratulates the New South Wales Government on the launch last week of its new website, Vehicle Emissions Star Rating (VESR), and we are thrilled to have played a role as its developer.
The VESR website is designed to assist consumers to factor in environmental impact when planning their next vehicle purchase, by allowing them to compare the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of new and used cars, Utes and vans.
It does this by utilising a very straightforward six-star rating to compare CO2 emissions between vehicles, with the most stars indicating the most environmentally beneficial option.
Data on CO2 emissions is based on a standard test that measures the amount of CO2 released per kilometre driven, as reported by all car manufacturers to the Australian Government’s Green Vehicle Guide.
Link Digital harvested the data from the Green Vehicle Guide and built an interface between it and VESR, along with a vehicle identification and specification site known as GLASS. We utilised Drupal, a free and open source content management system for building websites and web applications, to present all the data in a simple, easy to use, and visually appealing format.
“The VESR website is a great example of a public program delivering public data in a manner that meets the needs of public interest,” said Link Digital’s Chair and Executive Director, Steven De Costa. “Working on such projects is extremely rewarding for Link Digital’s team and we are sure the six-star system will be a great success.”
“It’s been a privilege to be a part of the team working on the VESR website,” said Iaroslav Pereiaslovets, Link Digital’s Head of Product Owners. “I believe it will help deliver tangible results in the effort to help drive down light vehicle emissions.”
As well as calculating CO2 emissions from vehicle tailpipes, the VESR website enables consumers to calculate the annual running cost of both petrol and electric vehicles, based on fuel price, model and annual travel distance. It also provides useful information for drivers of electric vehicles, such as locations of battery charging infrastructure and battery recycling.
The VESR system is a great example of data being used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the intensity of climate change.
Initiated and administered by the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, the website has been endorsed by the Commonwealth and all Australian state and territory governments. Link Digital is ready to start a dialogue with you and your team on your open data needs. Contact us and tell us about your project.
