Comparative Evaluation of the Effect of Vehicle Parameters on Fuel Consumption under NEDC and WLTP

Abstract

Higher speeds, faster acceleration and longer duration need a more realistic driving cycle. As a result, a new test procedure that reflects real-world driving conditions has been applied since 2017, and the previous development environment optimized for NEDC has also changed. In this study, several factors and technologies relating to fuel consumption, such as vehicle weight, tire rolling resistance, drag of aerodynamic, stop-start, and 48 V mild hybrid system, are evaluated as per the new worldwide harmonized light vehicles test procedure (WLTP) and compared with that of the previous European driving cycle (NEDC). The impact of the vehicle weight is increased in case of the WLTP due to faster acceleration compared to that under NEDC. The influence of aerodynamic force is very important as the average and maximum speed are increased. Meanwhile, the impact of idle stop-start technology is lower compared to that under NEDC due to the reduction in idle operation time. The 48-V mild hybrid system is still expected to play a role as a powerful fuel consumption reduction technology under new WLTP by applying energy regeneration, minor torque assist, and extended idle stop-start.