Development of Muar driving cycle based on real-world driving conditions

A driving cycle is a graph that represents vehicle speed over time of a specific area and characterizes a typical driving pattern for a city’s population at different driving conditions such as peak and off-peak. This research aims to design and develop Muar Driving Cycle (MDC) based on the actual driving condition. Selection of routes made via Google Traffic based on the congestion level and driving conditions for urban, semi-urban and rural areas in the Muar district. The data was collected using the test vehicle Proton Saga 1.3L CVT, equipped with the data loggersystem. Recording data has been segregated according to the maximum vehicle speedfor each micro-trip. Micro-trips were combined to construct the Muar Driving Cyclebased on target speed and acceleration. The initial driving pattern of MDC has been developed and the cycle characteristic are presented. The results obtained are compared with the current driving cycle including NEDC, WLTC and the MUDC. MDC has the high velocity with an average of 40.66 km/h with a maximum speed of 112.06 km/h and average acceleration of 0.263 m/s2. The drive cycle should be validated through vehicle simulation and the chassis emission cycle test in the future. The findings from the study would benefit in identifying the optimum solution for powertrain and vehicle technologies for Malaysian driving conditions.