Auto Glossary

N2O (Nitrous Oxide, sometimes called laughing gas) is a non-flammable gas usually used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic effects. The main reason for which is so famous though is because it was used in early motor racing and also the modern tuning and street racing scene for its properties as an oxidizer to increase the power output of engines.

NEDC is a test procedure based on theoretical driving meant to assess cars' emission levels and fuel economy. It has been created in the 1980s and, as its name says, it is used in Europe only. The new Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure has begun replacing NEDC since 2017 as the industry moves to come up with a unified, global procedure.

NHTSA is a branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation in charge with writing and enforcing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, regulations for motor vehicle theft, and fuel economy.

Non-pneumatic tires, also known as airless tires, are tires that are not backed by air pressure, thus eliminating the risk of a flat.

NVH is a complex of data relating to the noise and vibration attributes of a vehicle. Both are quantifiable attributes, unlike harshness, which is a somewhat more subjective one.