Establishing Real Driving Cycles for Dhaka\'s Urban Environment: A Methodological Framework for Vehicle Performance Evaluation in Megacity Traffic Conditions

Abstract

The divergence between standardized laboratory driving cycles and actual operating conditions in rapidly urbanizing megacities of developing economies poses a significant challenge for accurate vehicle performance evaluation. This study presents a comprehensive methodology for developing real-world driving cycles (RDCs) that accurately represent the severe urban traffic conditions of Dhaka, Bangladesh one of the world’s most congested megacities. Through systematic data collection using high-precision GNSS instrumentation, followed by rigorous signal processing and statistical analysis, six representative driving cycles were synthesized from approximately 33 hours of on-road measurements covering 219.3 km, of which 13 hours and 48 minutes of validated driving data were used. The study reveals that Dhaka’s driving environment is characterized by extremely low average speeds (7–12 km/h), high transient intensity (Relative Positive Acceleration: 0.159–0.232 m/s²), substantial idle proportions (8–22%), and predominantly low-speed operation, with 70–94% of time spent below 20 km/h. Comparative analysis with five international standard driving cycles (EPA FTP-75, UDDS, NYCC, Japanese 10-15 Mode, and ARTEMIS Urban) demonstrates that conventional certification cycles substantially underestimate the operational severity of megacity traffic in developing economies, with Dhaka RDCs exhibiting average speeds 60–75% lower than those of standard cycles and RPA values significantly exceeding even the highly congested New York City Cycle. The developed RDCs provide an essential foundation for evaluating hybrid electric vehicle performance under authentic operating conditions and offer critical insights for evidence-based transport electrification strategies in similar rapidly urbanizing contexts.

Introduction

The text examines the impact of Dhaka’s unique urban traffic conditions on vehicle performance, energy consumption, and emissions, emphasizing the need for context-specific driving cycles for accurate assessment, especially for hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs and PHEVs).

1. Vehicle Performance and Driving Cycles

• Standardized driving cycles (EPA FTP-75, NEDC, WLTP) are designed for cities with well-developed infrastructure, disciplined traffic, and homogeneous fleets, assuming average speeds of 20–35 km/h and moderate congestion.
• In megacities like Dhaka, traffic is highly heterogeneous and congested, with frequent acceleration-deceleration, prolonged idling, low average speeds, and high transient power demand, creating significant divergence from standard cycle assumptions.
• This affects fuel economy, emissions estimates, and hybrid vehicle efficiency.

2. Traffic Characteristics in Dhaka

• Heterogeneous traffic mix: Private cars (20%), motorcycles (27%), three-wheelers/CNG auto-rickshaws (14%), light commercial vehicles (7%), trucks (6%), buses (3%), and non-motorized vehicles like cycle-rickshaws (22%).
• Severe congestion: Roads occupy only 7–8% of land vs. 20–25% recommended; peak speeds can drop to 4–10 km/h.
• Structural and behavioral factors: Limited infrastructure, illegal parking, weak enforcement, fragmented transport governance, and dependence on private vehicles intensify congestion.
• Resulting driving cycle: Frequent stop-and-go, low speeds, high power demand variability.

3. Economic and Environmental Impacts

• Economic losses: Billions USD annually due to fuel inefficiency, lost work hours, and increased vehicle operating costs.
• Fuel inefficiency: Stop-and-go traffic increases transient engine operation and idling.
• Environmental effects: Elevated emissions of PM, NO?, CO; worsened air quality; noise pollution; increased health risks.
• Metro rail introduction (MRT Line 6) has shown potential to reduce travel time, fuel use, and emissions, highlighting benefits of integrated transport solutions.

4. Hybrid Vehicle Potential

• HEVs/PHEVs perform better under low-speed, stop-and-go conditions using regenerative braking, engine load optimization, and idle elimination.
• Accurate Dhaka-specific driving cycles are crucial for realistic performance evaluation and electrification strategy planning.

5. Vehicle Fleet Characteristics

• Dominated by internal combustion engines, with negligible electrified vehicles.
• Fleet composition: Mostly reconditioned imports (Japanese brands dominate; Toyota ~80–86%).
• High motorcycle ownership and limited public transport exacerbate congestion.
• Fleet age and maintenance affect fuel consumption and emissions.

6. Methodology for Data Collection

• High-fidelity real-world driving data collected using Beitian BK-609 GNSS sensor (1 Hz sampling) with u-blox u-center software.
• Captures position, speed, and time for detailed kinematic analysis to construct representative Real Driving Cycles (RDCs) for Dhaka.

Conclusion

This research has established a comprehensive methodological framework for developing real-world driving cycles representative of severe urban traffic conditions in developing megacities. Through systematic data collection, rigorous signal processing, and statistical analysis, six Dhaka-specific driving cycles were synthesized that authentically capture the operational severity of congested urban transport in a rapidly urbanizing context. The key conclusions are: Dhaka\'s driving environment is kinematically distinct from conditions represented by international certification cycles, with average speeds 50–75% lower than most standards (8.28–12.83 km/h versus 17–34 km/h, except NYCC: 11.4 km/h), severe congestion reflected in 35–42% raw idle proportions (reduced to 8–22% in finalized cycles after accounting for local engine-off practices), and Relative Positive Acceleration (0.159–0.232 m/s²) exceeding most standard cycles including the congested NYCC (0.222 m/s²), though remaining below ARTEMIS Urban (0.284 m/s²). International standard driving cycles substantially underestimate the operational severity of megacity traffic in developing economies. The FTP-75, ARTEMIS Urban, and even the NYCC fail to capture the extreme low-speed dominance, high transient intensity, and elevated RPA characteristic of Dhaka\'s environment. Severe congestion creates favorable conditions for hybrid electrification, where the high transient intensity and frequent deceleration events maximize regenerative braking potential (as indicated by RPA values), and electric-only operation can eliminate substantial idle fuel consumption and emissions. The developed RDCs provide an essential empirical foundation for evaluating vehicle performance under authentic operating conditions and inform evidence-based transport electrification strategies for Bangladesh and similar rapidly urbanizing contexts. Future research should employ these cycles in dynamic powertrain simulation to quantify fuel consumption, tailpipe emissions, and hybrid system benefits under realistic Dhaka operating conditions, enabling evidence-based assessment of alternative powertrain technologies for sustainable urban transport in developing megacities.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Islam Shaikh Mahinur, Ahmed Elsayed Aboud. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.