The car industry has admitted that makers can’t meet 2020 diesel pollution targets and want to almost double Euro 6 limits under new tests, Auto Express understands.
Its been revealed by an EU insider that the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) is asking for a “conformity factor” of 1.7, whereby cars would be given Euro 6 status for emitting 0.136g/km of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from 2020.
Policymakers are planning a zero-tolerance approach on the 0.080g/km Euro 6 limit from 2020, but have agreed a two-phase implementation with softer regulations in place for 2017 to 2020.
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However, the insider said the ACEA wants to push this further and is asking for compliance for cars emitting 2.75 times the Euro 6 limits during the first three-year period. That’s equal to 0.220g/km – a figure that wouldn’t even meet Euro 5 legislation.
Our source also revealed the ACEA feels the battles currently facing VW are a US conspiracy against European diesels. Its demands came at a behind-closed-doors meeting on 1 October ahead of the Real-World Driving Emissions (RDE) tests, which will be officially introduced on 1 January 2016 – although only for monitoring purposes in year one. From 2017, RDE will be used for Euro 6 compliance tests on new type approval vehicles and in 2018, all new cars sold in the EU must pass RDE tests.
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Julia Poliscanova, clean vehicles officer for Transport & Environment – a campaign group involved in the technical Euro 6 discussions – said progress on deciding the finer workings had been slow.
She told us: “It’s simply unacceptable that instead of concentrating on fitting the right technology and meeting the standard on the road, the industry is still busy weakening the law so it can concentrate on manipulating the tests instead.”
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An ACEA spokeswoman defended its position, adding: “In order to say what would be the right conformity factor, you need the full RDE package. The industry is not in a position to confirm what it should be.”
What do you think of the car makers asking for more flexibility on Euro6 standards? Let us know in the comments section below...