For car enthusiasts and especially owners of high-performance vehicles like the Ferrari Sf90 Spider, understanding fuel consumption and emissions testing standards is crucial. These standards, developed through rigorous laboratory tests, help ensure vehicles meet environmental regulations and provide consumers with comparable data across different models. The automotive industry has transitioned to more realistic testing procedures, with the Worldwide harmonised Light-duty vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) gradually replacing the older New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). This shift is particularly important for understanding the true performance and efficiency of supercars like the SF90 Spider.
The New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) served as the standard for measuring fuel consumption and emissions for many years. Introduced in stages since 1970, NEDC aimed to simulate typical driving conditions. However, its limitations became increasingly apparent, especially with the evolution of vehicle technology and driving habits. The NEDC cycle’s low average speed of just 34 km/h, gentle accelerations, and a maximum speed of only 120 km/h no longer accurately reflected real-world driving scenarios, particularly for high-performance cars designed for dynamic driving. For a car like the SF90 Spider, capable of far exceeding these parameters, NEDC figures provided a less than complete picture of its potential fuel consumption and emissions under typical usage.
Enter the Worldwide harmonised Light-duty vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). Developed to provide more realistic and representative data, WLTP employs new Worldwide harmonised Light-duty vehicle Test Cycles (WLTC). The WLTP is designed to mirror modern driving patterns more closely, featuring a more dynamic profile with significantly enhanced acceleration and deceleration phases. The maximum test speed is increased to 131.3 km/h, the average speed rises to 46.5 km/h, and the test duration extends to 30 minutes, covering a distance of 23.25 kilometers – double that of the NEDC. The WLTP test is segmented into four parts – Low, Medium, High, and Extra-high speed – simulating urban, suburban, rural roads, and motorway driving. This comprehensive approach offers a far more accurate assessment of a vehicle’s fuel consumption and emissions across a broader spectrum of driving conditions.
For owners and prospective buyers of the Ferrari SF90 Spider, WLTP standards offer a more transparent and reliable understanding of the vehicle’s real-world performance concerning fuel efficiency and environmental impact. WLTP also accounts for vehicle-specific optional equipment that can influence aerodynamics, rolling resistance, and overall vehicle mass. This granular approach results in a CO2 emission value that is highly specific to the configuration of an individual vehicle, providing a more precise picture compared to the broader averages obtained under NEDC. Therefore, for a sophisticated and customizable vehicle like the SF90 Spider, WLTP ensures that the reported figures are a more faithful representation of its actual performance in diverse driving situations.
