The Global Green Car Challenge is inching ever closer and this year’s event promises a host of environmentally friendly production cars battling for the title of “most eco-friendly”.

The competition was originally for solar-powered cars only, but it now allows mainstream road cars to enter and demonstrate their real-world fuel economy on actual Australian roads. As long as the vehicles conform with the ADR81/01 rating they are eligible to compete in the challenge, which means the likes of Audi, BMW, Ford, Holden, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Suzuki, Toyota and Volvo are among those to have registered interest in entering the challenge.

Currently the specific models that will compete remain a secret, but you can expect to see a host of diesels from the European manufacturers, while Toyota’s new Prius hybrid should also line up on the grid. Australia’s own Holden is expected to bring an AFM equipped Commodore or a diesel Cruze.

The test route is predominantly highway, although there is also an urban cycle for the production car-based Eco Challenge category that takes place on the streets of Adelaide.

Vehicles have their fuel consumption monitored throughout the event and the vehicle with the greatest improvement over the manufacturer’s claimed figures will be declared the winner.

The event kicks off in Darwin on October 24 and finishes some 3,000km later in Adelaide on October 31.