Characterization of vehicle driving patterns and development of driving cycles in Chinese cities

Current driving cycles used in China are not able to accurately assess vehicle emissions due to their inadequate representation of real-world driving. We in this study analyzed the driving characteristics and developed the driving cycles in Chinese cities, then compared them to the European test cycle and the American Federal Test Procedure. Eleven cities were selected, covering different city sizes and geographical locations. Car chasing technique was employed in each city to collect speed–time data on freeways, arterials, and residential roads during traffic peak and non-peak periods. The data collected were adjusted by the traffic adjustment factors to reflect the overall traffic. Eleven driving parameters were used to characterize driving characteristics and develop driving cycles. The results indicate that city size, local road infrastructure, and driving behavior are the most important factors that lead to the significant differences in vehicle driving patterns among the cities. The comparison with the European and US cycles suggests that the emission factors produced from the European or US cycles-based tests could be significantly different than those from the driving cycles in China.