NEDC

What NEDC was

The New European Driving Cycle was the standard test used to measure vehicle fuel consumption and EV range from the 1970s until 2019. It involved a short test sequence (11 km) at low average speeds (33 km/h), modest acceleration, and controlled laboratory conditions. Air conditioning was off. The driver behaviour scripted into the cycle bore almost no resemblance to how anyone actually drives.

For combustion cars, NEDC fuel economy figures were routinely 30–40% better than real-world consumption. For EVs, which were tested under the same cycle, range figures were similarly inflated.

Where you still see it

NEDC figures occasionally appear in:

• Older used EV listings - any EV sold before 2019 in Australia may have NEDC range cited in the original documentation
• Import vehicles from China - some Chinese-market vehicles were still certified under NEDC or a modified CLTC cycle rather than WLTP until recently
• Secondary sources and databases that haven’t been updated

If a range figure seems implausibly good and the vehicle is from 2018 or earlier, check whether it’s an NEDC figure. A 300 km NEDC range corresponds roughly to 210–240 km in practice.

CLTC: the Chinese equivalent

China uses its own driving cycle called CLTC (Chinese Light-duty Test Cycle), introduced in 2021. CLTC figures are generally more optimistic than WLTP - the test includes more low-speed urban driving where EVs perform well - but less divorced from reality than NEDC was.

Some Chinese-made vehicles sold in Australia have historically cited CLTC range. For BYD, SAIC (MG), and GWM vehicles, verify whether the stated range is WLTP or CLTC before using it for trip planning. The difference can be 10–15%.

The short version

If you see an NEDC range figure on anything you’re considering buying, mentally subtract 25–30% to get a realistic expectation. Better still, look for independently measured real-world data from Australian owners.