This is a massive topic in the automotive industry - the switch from NEDC testing to the new WLTP - but what impact is this having and what does it mean?
The tests were designed to measure fuel consumption, CO2 emission, pollutant & energy consumption for passenger cars. Let’s be honest, it’s probably about time for an update - these NEDC tests were designed in the 1980’s & were based on theoretical driving which has ultimately become massively outdated.
When you look at what car manufacturers claim to be a realistic MPG, in reality is it massively higher? Generally speaking, yes it is.
WLTP is now in force for all cars including hybrid & electric vehicles – It’s design has been based on real-driving data and better matches on-road performance.
Whilst speaking to a few people in my network within the leasing world, this seems to be impacting the supply of vehicles they’re receiving from the car manufacturers - Slowing down the production of cars therefore they are staying on-fleet for longer.
In the long run this is a positive change, through providing more transparency for customers, but inevitably there’ll no doubt be some short term challenges to overcome first.
We all know the fuel economy test isn’t realistic. You’ll be lucky to manage within 10mpg of the ‘official’ figure in a typical family car, while results for plug-in hybrids are hugely wide of the mark. However, the test is changing – and soon. From 1 September 2018, all new cars sold must be homologated under new, more stringent WLTP rules. And what amounts to a huge headache for car companies should be good news for customers. To find out more, we attended a ‘Tech Day’ at Vauxhall and Opel’s test centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, and spoke to one of the company’s leading experts on WLTP. So, without further ado…
Read the original article here