Is the solution to inaccurate fuel consumption and emission figures more stringent testing? asks Geraldine Herbert
As the latest automotive industry scandal deepens with the Japanese car company Mitsubishi admitting to falsifying fuel consumption data for decades and official research from the UK concluding that none of Britain’s most popular diesel cars meet the legal limits for nitrogen oxide emissions with some up to 14 times higher, it seems that inaccurate information from car makers is not limited to Volkswagen and it could be more widespread.
Meanwhile Daimler, owner of the Mercedes-Benz brand said it had begun an internal investigation into it’s diesel emissions testing while France’s Peugeot and Renault were raided by anti-fraud officials as part of ongoing investigations on pollutants in the car industry.
These revelations continue to dent the reputation of the industry and call into question all official performance figures from emissions to fuel consumption.
How can cars sold in Europe come with such misleading information?
In short, the car makers are not breaking any laws because the only legal standard currently is to meet the lab requirement, what they do in the real world is not under legal scrutiny, not yet anyway.
What are the current the legal requirements?
All new cars sold in Europe are required to meet euro emissions standards but the test introduced in 1970 and last updated in 1990 has been criticised for being outmoded and obsolete. As the gulf between what can be achieved in reality and the results from ideal laboratory conditions widens, it is clear that car makers can ensure that their test vehicles are optimised to meet these tests in ways that their showroom counterparts could never achieve on the road under normal use. Spare wheels and wings mirrors are routinely removed while cracks around doors and gaps can be taped to minimize air resistance and even the alternator disconnected to improve fuel consumption. In addition, it is the car manufacturers that are paying the organisations who undertake and certify the tests.
When is the current test likely to be replaced?
The EU has agreed to introduce a real-world testing element next year which would mean that new cars will have to be tested both in the laboratory and on the road. The WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure) will reflect much more closely normal daily driving conditions.
So its good news for the motorist with new stringent rules on the way?
Well not exactly, the EU legislative cycle is a convoluted process with over 30 separate significant decision points to be cleared before a proposal can become part of European law and implemented in each member state so don’t expect changes over night. The process itself is heavily weighted towards compromise to accommodate the competing and varying interests of the 27 member states some with large automotive industries, so it is likely that proposals on “stringent rules” may well end up being watered down or will require a significant grace period.
Anyone expecting their car’s economy will match the official figure is likely to be disappointed as it remains to be seen how easy it will be to represent real world driving and how feasible it will be to replicate the test as results will vary depending on driving style, route and road conditions.
But what of the cars on our roads now?
In our quest for high performance, low consumption and modest emissions, diesel was touted as the green option and became the fuel of choice in Ireland from 2008 following changes to how motor tax was calculated. Whereas in the US nitrous oxide has been the main concern, in Europe the focus has remained firmly on carbon dioxide as the key emission to lower and many countries incentivised the use of diesel vehicles as they have lower CO2 emissions than petrol cars. NOX emissions have not been a priority and are not even part of the EU roadworthiness directive upon which the NCT is based on and hence why NOX emission levels are not tested even though it has serious adverse effects on health and contributes to the World Health Organisation classification of diesel fumes as a cause of cancer alongside asbestos and plutonium. This is despite the fact that it is estimated that 40% of the poisonous nitrogen dioxide is emitted by road transport and 80% of those emissions comes from diesel cars.
What does all of this mean for the motorist?
It is essential that the new testing conditions reflect real world data and that car buyers can make informed decisions on their priorities. But it is also likely the motorist will pay in the long run, C02 figures are liable to rise which would mean higher tax rates and the authentic “clean diesel” will be expensive to produce so more costly to buy.
The new rules will however be a first step toward correcting the current discrepancy between what is happening on the road and what is officially quoted but the future aim must be to make vehicles that cut emissions rather than simply fudging the figures.
Geraldine Herbert
9th May, 2016
