To measure a car’s official fuel consumption and emissions– the figure which manufacturers use on all technical and marketing material – it must undertake the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC).
There are a number of myths that surround the fuel consumption and emissions test. So here, in seven simple points, are the unadulterated truths about NEDC.
- The NEDC test must be witnessed by a government-appointed approval agency to ensure it meets the standards set out by the European Commission.
- All of the vehicle’s components must be present and cannot be tampered with. For example, the alternator belt must be intact and the brakes must function fully to pass testing.
- The tests must be done within a controlled range of temperatures, between 20°C and 30°C to be valid.
- Testing is always undertaken in specific laboratory conditions on a rolling road, which replicates air resistance. There is a standard drive cycle that is monitored by a computer programme, which invalidates the test if it is not performed within certain tolerances.
- The vehicle will not pass the test unless it meets the manufacturers production specification and tolerances.
- The vehicle will be checked to ensure it has the same tyre pressures, fluid levels and components as it would have on the road.
- Vehicles that come off of the production line are tested at random to ensure that they meet the lab test results.
