Dyson overrides vacuum tests

Dyson, the maker of household appliances, won the battle in European courts to get an indication of the energy efficiency of vacuum cleaners.

The British engineering company said the tests performed on the efficiency indices favored the competitors' models and did not reflect the actual conditions of use.

The EU court ruled in favor of Dyson after four years of litigation on the subject.

The company said the decision was "a win for consumers".

The UK firm said the lab tests had "established blatant discrimination" over its own patented cyclone technology by testing vacuum cleaners when they were dust-free.

Dyson, better known for its bagless cleaners, said that models using bags lose their suction and lose energy efficiency as they fill, making lab tests only measuring the performance of empty cleaners.

The company explained that the tests had misled consumers as to the actual environmental impact of the machine they were buying.

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Dyson said some manufacturers had "actively exploited the regulations by using low engine power while testing, but then using the technology to automatically increase engine power when the machine fills with dust – thus appearing more effective".

The decision of the Tribunal cancels the regulations in force for labeling, which will remain in place for 10 weeks to allow a time limit for appeal.

Analysis: Theo Leggett, BBC Business Correspondent

Dyson compared the situation of vacuum cleaners to "dieselgate", the scandal according to which Volkswagen engineers were deliberately driving a bus in accordance with the legislation on exhaust gas emissions. However, it is fair to say that this exaggerates things a little bit.

The court certainly concluded that EU legislation was flawed – and its beneficiaries were rivals such as Siemens or Bosch. Dyson insists that some manufacturers play the system, exploiting weaknesses in the legislation. It even refers to a "neutralization software" – echoing the "neutralization devices" used by Volkswagen.

But here is the point. Dyson seems to suggest that the Commission itself discriminated against continental manufacturers and against its own products – while the manufacturers themselves acted in accordance with the letter, if not the 39; mind. It's the bureaucrats, not the companies themselves, who are being charged.

Volkswagen's engineers, at least in the United States, knew full well that what they were doing was absolutely illegal. As a result of their actions, a large number of drivers unknowingly used vehicles that produced far greater amounts of harmful gases than they had thought, and sabotaged efforts to reduce pollution. # 39; air.