Development of a Trace-Based Driving Cycle for Doha Using Real-World Data

The rapid expansion of anthropogenic infrastructure has increased commuting distances and patterns, particularly in countries like Qatar where personal vehicles dominate transportation. This trend has contributed to traffic congestion. This study introduces a Doha Driving Cycle (DC) to facilitate a tool that can be used to analyze various aspects of vehicle performance, including tailpipe emissions. The DC is developed using real-world data collected from vehicles equipped with on-board diagnostics devices. This data was meticulously processed and filtered before employing the microtrip approach to construct the driving cycle. Two distinct driving cycles were created to reflect seasonal variations in Doha’s driving patterns: one for the summer, characterized by greater variability in speed and acceleration, and one for the winter, marked by speeds with low variance. The resulting driving cycles reveal significant deviations from the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle (WLTC), underscoring the necessity of creating site-specific driving cycles for accurate environmental and performance assessments in Doha.