What is the link between the CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of my car?

The amount of CO2 a car emits is directly related to the amount of fuel it consumes. For instance, a diesel car emitting 95g CO2 per kilometre consumes around 3.7 litres of fuel per 100km, while a petrol car consumes around 4 litres/100km for the same CO2 emissions.

Fuel efficiency, sometimes referred to as fuel economy, is the relationship between the distance travelled and the fuel consumed.

Transition Timeline: From NEDC to WLTP

  • Cars type approved using NEDC before September 2017 can still be sold.
  • WLTP type approval testing will be introduced for new car types.
  • Some cars will have ‘old’ NEDC values, while others will already be certified under the new WLTP conditions.
  • The industry would like to start using WLTP-based results for general consumer information (eg sales brochures and websites).
  • During the period of transition (up until the end of 2018), only NEDC values should be used on labels and information in dealerships to enable consumers to compare different cars.
  • It is expected that national tax regulations will continue to be based on NEDC values.

The same car suddenly has two different CO2 values, why is this?

The NEDC value of a car suddenly increased, what happened?

  • All new cars must be certified according to the WLTP test procedure, and no longer on NEDC.
  • An exception should be made for end-of-series vehicles to allow for a limited number of unsold vehicles in stock that were approved under the old NEDC test to be sold for one more year.

Will my fuel consumption increase under WLTP?

  • All cars in dealerships should have WLTP-CO2 values only to avoid any confusion among consumers, in the view of the automobile industry.
  • National governments should adjust vehicle taxation and fiscal incentives to WLTP values, respecting the principle that WLTP should not have a negative impact on consumers.

Will WLTP affect how much car tax I pay?

The same car suddenly has two different CO2 values, why is this?

  • The European Commission will convert today’s (NEDC-based) CO2 targets to specific WLTP-CO2 targets of comparable stringency. These new WLTP targets will apply for monitoring car fleet compliance.

Will the new WLTP test affect CO2 targets?

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