The announcement follows a report by Transport & Environment, which found a widening gap between test and real world fuel economy and emission readings. The report found that the gap increased from 8% in 2001 to 40% in 2014 and, according to the campaign group, will grow to nearly 50% by 2020.

The patented technology from Masternaut provides real-time access to the full set of floating car data on vehicle CANbus networks. The floating car data (covering fuel usage, odometer, diagnostic, and other useful data) is transmitted to Masternaut’s secure hosted platform where it is processed, aggregated, and analysed to create real-world data sets said to be the most accurate available on the market.

The firm added that the technology guarantees ‘read-only’ access to the vehicle, ensuring that the vehicle cannot be hacked.

Steve Towe, chief commercial officer and uk managing director, Masternaut, commented: “There is a misconception in the market that OEM fuel economy figures are indicative of real-life, real world driving. However this is not the case as those figures are officially provided for comparison only. There is a wealth of information out there, so part of our technology investment is to provide a single authoritative source for fleets and drivers to build a true picture for each and every vehicle. We’re investing heavily in our technology in order to bring transparency to fleet operators, help OEMs to understand actual end-user use and help leasing companies work with their customers to understanding whole-life costs.”