New Vehicles Tests Put in Place Following Emission Scandal
CategoriesBlack Cab / Car Dealers / Chauffeur / Commercial / Commercial Vehicle / Motor Trade / Private Hire / Taxi
Since September 1st 2018, all new vehicles have to undergo the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure, giving the manufacturer and customer more accurate fuel consumption and emission information on all new vehicles.
After the Volkswagen emissions cover-up and “Dieselgate” scandal in 2015 revealed many car manufacturers were cheating emissions tests, and the general dissatisfaction from consumers with the real-world economy figures of new cars compared with the official figures, a new emissions test has been introduced called the Worldwide Harmonised Light-duty vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). The WLTP is the new official test from the European Union and replaces the previous “New European Driving Cycle” (NEDC) test procedure. Every model registered in the UK must now be approved under WLTP, which is developed for global use, but is also subject to specific European regulations. The aim of the new test is to give manufacturers and customers more accurate information about the real-world fuel and energy consumption, as well as CO2 and other emissions figures for new vehicles.NEDC vs WLTP
The NEDC has been in place since 1972 and updated in 1992. The new WLTP test differs from the outdated NEDC process in a number of ways: all tests will continue to be conducted in a laboratory, however, the new test is longer and more dynamic, with a greater range of driving conditions, speeds, distances, gear changes and temperatures. The results will give manufacturers and customers a better idea of how the vehicle will perform when being driven in real-world conditions. Both NEDC and WLTP results will be shown with vehicle data until September 2019, at which point NEDC test results will be discounted. The main differences between the two test procedures are: