The hard-edged introduction of the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) this September could force car makers to offer heavy discounts on cars that don’t meet its standards.
As things stand in Britain, brands left with large stockpiles of unsold pre-WLTP cars won’t be able to sell any to customers, potentially forcing them to scrap them before they reach showrooms.
Other European countries have offered a grace period after the 1 September for manufacturers to sell pre-WLTP cars off, but the UK Government is yet to announce such plans.
WLTP test: when it's in force and how it could affect your car
It’s common practice for car makers to build more cars than they’ve sold, meaning they may be forced to pre-register large numbers of them or sell unsold vehicles in the run-up to the deadline at heavily discounted prices, so as to reduce the number of unsold cars.
WhatCar?, Autocar’s sister title, said that buyers of vehicles built in far-off countries with long delivery times could also suffer delivery delays as brands require them to wait for a WLTP-approved car to arrive after 1 September, rather than race to get their pre-WLTP model here before.
The Audi SQ5 could be an example of such a move, because Audi recently suspended sales of the hot SUV, leaving only existing stock available. A spokesman told Autocar that the move was related to a full build slot, but Autocar understands it’s linked to the WLTP’s introduction.
WLTP will replace the outgoing New European Driving Cycle test, which is lab-based. The WLTP test uses real-world testing to provide more accurate emissions figures. It is generally considered to be stricter – estimates state it’ll make each model’s CO2 figure rise by an average of 15g/km – and it's therefore forcing many manufacturers to make engineering changes to their cars.
BMW revealed that the M4 was to be temporarily taken off sale later this year so a particulate filter can be added to its exhaust system. Its four-door sibling, the F80 M3, will be axed because, as a spokesman explained, it’s not financially viable to make such a modification to a car so late in its production life cycle.
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WLTP Requirements
Oh dear here we go again.Some muppet in ,I assume Brussels, is so anti cars,but is chauferred around in them, believes that real world testing will fix pollution from motor vehicles.It won't.
The manufacturers will meet WLTP requirements but as we all know not everyone services their cars to the manufacturers specifications and after a short time it's alledged polluting will be back at levels over the WLTP standard.EG, use the wrong oil or a cheaper "similar" type and this will most likely, over time, allow excessive wear of the engine and then back to my earlier point,not meet the WLTP.
Oh sorry I forgot,once the level is met in manmufactuer real world motoring doesn't count.
What a lot of hog wash.
Only 330 miles out
Think the "W" is a clue - worldwide - this is an UN initiative - based in Geneva - but, of course, to Brexiteers it's all the same
WLTP Requirements
sierra, your quite right,except it's another unelected orginisation that attempts to enforce unrealistic legislation on the worlds population or in Europes case Europe and previously the UK.I believe exiting the EU was won on the basis of the population voting on it,this WLTP is not, and in the long run will mean little.
Just a poker hand.
It is just a stalling issue in case the UK has to spit its dummy out of the pram with the neighbours over brexit terms.
Money always talks, we will take it in the chuff sooner or later.
It goes down to penalties and then the germans win...u know the story.
A fine mess you’ve gotten me into....!
So there’s a large stockpile of NEW Cars which won’t meet the NEW emissions test, so, sell em, is that a good idea?, is it counter productive?, all that labour to make the Cars will be wasted, selling them would not help cut pollution either, seems to me that MrsMay &Co might delay certain targets,I mean just imagine it, thousands of brand new zero miles Cars all getting scrapped?,,just ridiculous!
Fear not
They won't get scrapped, just pre-registered and sold of as used cars. And they're not necessarily "dirty", just that when manufactured they haven't been tested to the latest super clean standard. I guess it's good news for buyers, not so good for manufacturers and dealers.
I can't help feeling that we're attacking the emissions problem from the wrong end, insisting on ever more stringent and difficult to meet standars for new cars while allowing older gross polluting models to err... carry on polluting!