New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) replacement discrepancies revealed


WLTP testing deadline looms amidst concerns about financial penalties.

The replacement of the 1980s-designed New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) test - the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) - is set to apply to all new car production from September 2018.

Although the WLTP is based on 'real' driving data rather than the outdated theoretical driving model, JATO Dynamics claims there may be significant financial penalties for EU member states' automotive manufacturers as a result of CO2 taxes.

The new figures, released by JATO,  indicate that the disparity between NEDC test data and NEDC correlated data under WLTP test cycle is higher than the 8g/km JATO monitored back in April 2018.  The result of the findings could mean an extension to the process of concluding the re-homologation of all vehicles.

According to the Procedure website, the new WLTP: "was developed with the aim of being used as a global test cycle across different world regions, so pollutant and CO2 emissions as well as fuel consumption values would be comparable worldwide. However, while the WLTP has a common global ‘core’, the European Union and other regions will apply the test in different ways depending on their road traffic laws and needs."

As a result, the new standards will not cover all aspects of 'real' driving variations - driving style, traffic and weather conditions, for example.