New European Driving Cycle

The New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) is a driving cycle, last updated in 1997, designed to assess the emission levels of car engines and fuel economy in passenger cars (which excludes light trucks and commercial vehicles). It is also referred to as MVEG cycle (Motor Vehicle Emissions Group).

The NEDC, which is supposed to represent the typical usage of a car in Europe, is repeatedly criticised for delivering economy figures which are unachievable in reality. It consists of four repeated ECE-15 urban driving cycles (UDC) and one Extra-Urban driving cycle (EUDC).

The test procedure is defined in UNECE R101 for the measurement of CO₂ and fuel consumption and/or the measurement of electric energy consumption and electric range in hybrid and fully electric M1 and N1 vehicles, and UNECE R83 for the measurement of emission of pollutants of M, N1 and M2 vehicles. It is maintained by the UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29), which also works on its successor, the Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedures (WLTP).

Although originally designed for petrol-based road vehicles, the driving cycle is now also used for diesel vehicles and to estimate the electric power consumption and driving range of hybrid and battery electric vehicles.

Several measurements are usually performed along the cycle. The figures made available to the general public are:

The following parameters are also generally measured to validate the compliance to European emission standards:

Some or all of the following parameters are measured depending upon the requirements of the region implementing the test:

The region implementing the test defines limits for each of the pollutants, for instance the Euro level within the EU.

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