The CO2 targets that car manufacturers have to meet by 2021 are based on the old NEDC test, the so-called New European Driving Cycle. From the introduction of the new WLTP test in September 2017, the WLTP-CO2 values will be translated back to NEDC-equivalent values to monitor compliance against the CO2 targets set by the European Union
A ‘correlation exercise’ was carried out by the European Commission to determine how the values for new cars measured on the WLTP cycle will be translated back to NEDC equivalent values for monitoring against the EU CO2 targets. Given that the European Commission has tightened the test conditions for NEDC, it will be more challenging for manufacturers to meet their targets.
A comparison of new WLTP-CO2 values and NEDC CO2 values over the period of transition from NEDC to WLTP will be the basis for the European Commission to calculate WLTP-specific targets for 2020. These revised targets are required by EU legislation to be of ‘comparable stringency’ to the current CO2 targets based on the NEDC test.
Then, as of 2020, the member states and the European Commission will start to monitor the WLTP values of new cars against manufacturers’ new CO2 target values based on the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP).