The deadline for the implementation of WLTP solutions has now passed. Yet OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and leasing companies across Europe continue to face significant challenges regarding their CO2 compliance.
Established in 2015 to better measure fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from passenger cars, the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure presented several challenges for automotive players from inception.
The latest concern relates to the huge flow of data required by leasing service providers to inform customers how much CO2 is emitted by any given vehicle. With approximately 15 million new cars sold in Europe annually – each with a unique specification – the vast range of data involved is currently difficult to process for many OEMs and leasing companies that rely on said data to make strategic fleet decisions.
Olivier Peijs, Head of European Sales Leasing at JATO Dynamics, commented: “WLTP has always been a very complex matter and it comes as no surprise that the industry has found it difficult to implement WLTP solutions. But the retrieval of real-time WLTP data from OEMs is now crucial for all automotive players. In particular, leasing service providers (LSPs) who face customers with tight budgets and strict fleet policies. Without the correct WLTP values, LSPs may suffer from unforeseen vehicle costs such as registration or road tax – with the damaging potential to make models non-compliant with their customers’ car policies.”
Every version of a new car sold from 1 January 2021 will have a unique WLTP value. Any change to this standard version may influence the WLTP value (such as adding an option). Therefore, to calculate accurate WLTP figures, manufacturers must handle a range of data that requires detailed analysis to determine key WLTP factors such as CO2 emissions, weight, and fuel consumption. An additional complexity is that WLTP might change local taxations across Europe such as road tax, registration tax or benefit in kind.
WLTP calculations are particularly difficult for LSPs as manufacturers provide WLTP data in varying formats, meaning LSPs must translate this set of data into one common format. Not only this, but if data is missing or outdated, they are forced to acquire it themselves – putting strain on resources, infrastructure, technology, and staff members.
To tackle these challenges, JATO Dynamics has developed JATO WLTP Link which acts as a central access point for the retrieval of vital fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures, taking into account any other updates such as optional add-ons and new emissions data.
Building upon JATO’s service offering, leasing software provider, Sofico, has developed a real-time integration for its leasing customers – sourcing this data from JATO and enabling customers to continue with business as usual, suppressing the complexities brought about by WLTP.
Jordy Plaetinck, Subject Matter Expert at Sofico, stated:” Effectively implementing real time data remains a very complex matter, however, all parties involved – JATO, Sofico and OEMs alike – are making significant efforts to increase performance by consistently compiling and unifying the real time data. While future evolutions in vehicle type approval with regards to pollutants emissions may require further amendments, we now made it possible for our customers to obtain exact, up-to-date CO₂ emissions and fuel efficiency data as needed.”
Benjamin Daels, Sales & Marketing Director at ALD Automotive, commented on the effectiveness of the WLTP solution, stating: “At ALD Automotive, we see it as our responsibility to provide our customers with the best possible guidance on new trends, market developments and, of course, tax changes. Therefore, it was important to be able to show both NEDC and WLTP values on our documents. Thanks to the smooth cooperation with JATO and Sofico, we quickly transformed a complex situation into a transparent solution for our customers.”
