{"id":70953,"date":"2023-11-30T10:54:52","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T10:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dewetron.com\/news\/what-is-wltp-worldwide-harmonized-light-duty-vehicles-test-procedure\/"},"modified":"2026-09-20T02:57:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T02:57:21","slug":"what-is-wltp-worldwide-harmonized-light-duty-vehicles-test-procedure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dewetron.com\/us\/news\/what-is-wltp-worldwide-harmonized-light-duty-vehicles-test-procedure\/","title":{"rendered":"What is WLTP? – Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty Vehicles Test Procedure"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In the dynamic realm of automotive technology and environmental consciousness, the need for standardized testing procedures has never been as important as it is today. The introduction of the WLTP was a major step forward in this respect. Today, we will have a closer look at this test procedure and its history.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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What is WLTP?<\/h2>\n
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WLTP stands for Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty <\/em><\/strong>Vehicles Test Procedure<\/em><\/strong> and was initially published by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe<\/a> (UNECE) in 2014. As the name implies, it is a globally standardized test procedure for motor vehicles, including combustion engines, hybrid (NOVC-HEV and OVC-HEV) and pure electric vehicles. The original proposal<\/a> describes its aims as follows:<\/p>\n

\u201cThis global technical regulation (gtr) aims at providing a worldwide harmonized method to determine the levels of gaseous, particulate matter, particle number, CO2 emissions, fuel consumption, electric energy consumption and electric range from light-duty vehicles in a repeatable and reproducible manner designed to be representative of real world vehicle operation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Put simply, the WLTP provides a more accurate representation of a vehicle\u2019s fuel consumption and emissions under real-world driving conditions.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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The history of WLTP<\/h3>\n
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To record and monitor the emission levels of cars, a standardized test procedure was introduced in the 1970s. It is known as the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). However, due to the rapid evolution in the automotive industry, the NEDC struggled to keep pace with these changes. This led to large discrepancies between the results of the laboratory tests and real-world driving conditions. The need for a more comprehensive, realistic, and globally applicable testing standard became evident. This resulted in the development and introduction of the WLTP. Especially after the emissions scandal in 2015, it became clear how important it is to have reliable and accurate emissions tests. This also pushed the adaption of the WLTP worldwide. Nowadays, the WLTP is well implemented in the majority of European countries, the United States, China, Japan, and many more.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Test procedure & driving cycles<\/h3>\n
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The total test procedure defines numerous conditions, including gear changes, total vehicle mass (including additional equipment, freight and passengers), fuel quality, ambient temperature and tire selection and pressure. One key aspect of the procedure is the different test cycles also called WLTCs. There are three different test cycles, which depend on the vehicle class and are defined by the power\/weight ratio PWr in W\/kg. They are as follows:<\/p>\n