Abstract
The report analyses and compares the driving patterns - the observed variation of speed as a function of time - of instrumented petrol and electric light vans in central London. The form of propulsion system used, the vehicle payload, and driver differences are shown to have little influence on the driving pattern which is assumed to be characteristic of the route chosen and its dominant traffic conditions. Comparison is made between the observed driving patterns and various driving cycles which are used for, or have been proposed for, the assessment of vehicle fuel consumption. The cycles are shown to be unrepresentative of the patterns observed in the experiments. (Author/publisher)