2015 model year vehicles will be tested on same cycle used by US EPA
Natural Resources Canada has been fairly mum on the topic of updating their test cycles since an announcement was made in February 2012. However, after being hinted in a recent CBC News article and confirmed independently with multiple sources, Autos.ca has it under good authority the test will be changing this January.
The new five-cycle test, which includes the current two-cycle testing and adds three additional testing protocols, will be used for the Fuel Economy Guide starting with 2015 model year products. This will translate to ratings on window stickers and advertising.
Using the updated procedure, Natural Resources Canada expects the new numbers to be, on average, 15-percent higher than the ratings generated by the old two-cycle test.
The new tests include High Speed, Air Conditioning, and Cold Temperature testing currently used by the EPA in the United States to generate their fuel economy numbers.
An official announcement will be made by Natural Resources Canada in the coming weeks.
