How will WLTP affect company car drivers?

The WLTP fuel consumption and emissions test, introduced only last month, is having a knock-on effect for company car drivers. Ultimately, closer to real-world fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions data will benefit everybody, but right now certain issues have arisen.

Manufacturers have been tasked with retesting every variant of every model they build, which has proven to be an onerous undertaking. As a result, order books for a number of model derivatives have been temporarily closed while those car makers work through the backlog. That means many company car buyers haven’t been able to order the exact car they had their eye on.

One company in the know, CLM fleet management, estimates that the new WLTP rules give CO2 emissions data that are around 10% higher across the board on average than the outgoing NEDC system. For the time being, though, HMRC will continue to use the old NEDC figures for benefit-in-kind calculations. To convert the new WLTP data back into line with the old system, HMRC uses a formula known as CO2MPAS.

Unfortunately, the formula isn’t perfect and it still presents CO2 figures that are slightly higher than they were under NEDC, before WLTP’S introduction, which is having a financial impact on company car buyers. HMRC hasn’t said when it will switch fully to the new system, but 2020 has been hinted at when the Real Driving Emissions test will be ready.