With the VW diesel emissions scandal still in full swing, the UK Government, along with France and Germany, has called for the European Union to weaken its nitrogen oxide (NOx) cap on new cars sold – effectively letting new cars pollute more than would be allowed under existing guidelines.
The Government has petitioned for new cars to be allowed to produce twice the current Euro 6 limit of Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) until 2019, with further loopholes allowing car makers to emit 40 per cent higher NOx emissions afterwards. France and Germany have called for similar guidelines to be introduced.
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EU policymakers are planning a zero-tolerance approach on the 80mg/km NOx Euro 6 limit from 2020 onwards, but to give manufacturers a chance to meet these strict targets, a two-phase implementation with softer regulations guided by conformity factors has been scheduled for 2017.
Auto Express has previously reported that car manufacturers are already lobbying for higher conformity factors – these would allow their cars to pollute more while still staying within the legally allowed Euro 6 limits.
The current European commission proposal for the conformity factors is understood to be a 60 per cent allowance until 2017, which decreases down to a 20 per cent upper limit in 2019, meaning any new car sold then can pollute up to 95mg/km NOx.
If the UK Government proposal were to pass, the EU would effectively allow new cars sold to pollute up to 160mg/km NOx – barely below the old Euro 5 limit – until 2019, and NOx emissions of 112mg/km after 2019.
The success of the UK's request will be determined by a vote on Wednesday October 28th with the outcome determined by a qualified majority of national representatives.
Julia Poliscanova, clean vehicles officer for campaign group Transport & Environment, previously criticised the industry for focusing on weakening existing laws, rather than looking at cleaning up diesel emissions and the technology behind it.
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