Auto motor und sport updates vehicle testing standards
German automotive publication auto motor und sport has revamped its testing criteria to emphasize manufacturing sustainability and implement a unified scoring system across all vehicle classes.
The publication, owned by Motor Presse Stuttgart, announced that its assessment of vehicle environmental performance now includes the energy and raw materials consumed during production. This shift is intended to account for the full lifecycle of a vehicle, including battery manufacturing and logistics, rather than focusing solely on tailpipe emissions or fuel consumption.
In addition to the environmental update, the editorial team has introduced a coast-down test to measure aerodynamic efficiency and rolling resistance. This metric provides insight into the energy required to maintain constant speeds, reflecting the vehicle's inherent mechanical efficiency. Furthermore, the publication has eliminated category-specific scoring adjustments, meaning all vehicles are now evaluated against a singular, uniform standard regardless of their size or segment.
With these changes, the maximum achievable score in the publication’s tests has risen from 900 to 1,000 points. The editors emphasize that core performance metrics, including handling, braking, and build quality, remain central to their testing protocol, which evaluates approximately 380 cars annually.