Glossary
NEDC Test Cycle
Direct Answer / TL;DR
What is NEDC Test Cycle?
The New European Drive Cycle (NEDC) was the EU's official fuel economy test from 1997 until 2019. It was replaced by WLTP because its unrealistically smooth speeds and minimal air-con use produced figures up to 40% higher than real-world results.
Why does it matter for UK drivers?
NEDC was designed in the 1980s and had barely changed by the time it was retired. The test ran for just 19.8 minutes at a maximum speed of 75 mph with artificially gentle acceleration and no meaningful use of ancillaries like air conditioning or heated seats. Engines could also be pre-conditioned (warmed up) before testing in ways that don't reflect a cold start on a winter morning.
The result was a credibility crisis. By the mid-2010s, independent testing by organisations like What Car? found the average real-world gap was around 19–24%, and for some plug-in hybrids it was well over 40%. Consumer trust in official figures eroded significantly.
From September 2017, all new car type approvals had to use WLTP. From September 2018 all new registrations. By January 2021, NEDC figures could no longer be published alongside WLTP figures in the EU.
In the UK, any car first registered before late 2019 will have an NEDC fuel consumption figure in its official documentation. These cars still appear in the DVLA VES database with their NEDC specifications — which is why WorthThePump applies a larger real-world penalty (20%) to NEDC vehicles compared to WLTP vehicles (12%). This ensures older cars' running costs aren't underestimated in the detour calculation.
If you drive a pre-2019 car and want an accurate saving calculation, measuring your own real-world MPG over several tankfuls and entering it manually will give you the most accurate result.
Related terms
Further reading
Now you know what NEDC Test Cycle means —
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