The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has adopted the Worldwide Harmonized Light-duty Test Procedures (WLTP) test cycle to be used for measuring fuel consumption, and therefore carbon dioxide emissions, of new light vehicles.
It is expected that fuel consumption figures for many automobiles will increase between 10-20% in this new system.
3 March 2014: The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has adopted the Worldwide Harmonized Light-duty Test Procedures (WLTP) test cycle to be used for measuring fuel consumption, and therefore carbon dioxide emissions, of new light vehicles. It is expected that fuel consumption figures for many automobiles will increase between 10-20% in this new system.
These higher numbers are expected both because the new test cycle is far more accurate than the current system, which has been in use since 1996, and because it now considers fuel-increasing accessories such as air conditioning and heated seats and closes loopholes of the previous test.
The development of the test cycle is the result of over five years of work by the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations, which is housed within the Transport Division of the UNECE. Now that the new test has been approved by the UNECE, it is up to national and regional legislatures to adopt it and require manufacturers to use it. [UNECE Press Release]