Why a multi-pronged approach to electrification is needed
Battery production capacity for motor vehicles is currently scarce, expensive and suffering supply lags and challenges.
The WLTP enigma
Is there something strange happening with WLTP?
The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) is the new laboratory certification test for light duty vehicles in Europe. In particular, it is used for the fuel economy labelling of vehicles and the carbon dioxide (CO2) results will be used in labelling and manufacturer fleet average CO2 calculations. Missing the fleet average targets could trigger significant fines for manufacturers.
European Court annuls Real Driving Emissions limits: the potential consequences
The General Court of the European Union overturned the emissions compliance levels under the new Real Driving Emissions (RDE) regulation in a verdict announced on 13 December. On the surface of it, this may look like a victory for cities wanting to be tougher on emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from passenger cars and vans.
Real Driving Emissions is a tough regulation, but also a risky one
Discrepancies between best and worst diesel cars reaches record high
New Real Driving Emissions regulation increases pressure on annual inspection and maintenance testing system
Rethinking Scrappage For Addressing Vehicle Emissions
Scrappage schemes are controversial. In a 2011 academic paper* reviewing 26 studies assessing the outcomes of 18 scrappage schemes implemented around the world in 2008-11, the authors concluded that the emission effects of the schemes were ‘modest and occur within the short term.’ They also concluded that the cost-effectiveness of such schemes ‘is often quite poor.’
Cutting pollution and improving public health
Pollution is a major contributor to chronic human sickness, not just environmental damage, according to the 2017 annual report of England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, released on 2 March 2018: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chief-medical-officer-annual-report-2017-health-impacts-of-all-pollution-what-do-we-know. The report made 22 policy recommendations, many of which related to monitoring and ameliorating pollutant emissions.
Electric vehicles now rated by EQUA Index – Tesla 3 result.
Can driving styles prove the smarter route to better fuel economy and emissions?
The relevance of official fuel economy figures is still a perennial topic across the automotive industry, and one of the hardest to answer directly takes into account the human factor. Some claim that the official figures are in fact perfectly valid, if only the average driver wasn’t so lead-footed. But is there any truth in this train of thought?
Very cleanest cars revealed: new A+ rating from the EQUA Index
Mayor delivers online checker to help car buyers choose less polluting new vehicles
AIR – a new global alliance promoting on-road vehicle emissions tests
Independent car rating system can solve emissions crisis, says new global alliance ‘AIR’
Euro 6 cars entering Clean Air Zones
Why cold starts could freeze air pollution improvements
The latest analysis of the EQUA Index data shows that the average daily distance driven in passenger cars is not sufficient for a vehicle’s pollution control system to warm up and become fully functional.
Thermal windows: the next big scandal or an innocent technicality?
Clean air heroes hidden among Euro 6 villains
Extremely polluting Nissan and Renault diesel cars still on sale, data reveals
Toxic times for diesel
Diesel has had something of a rough time of it over the past 18 months. It started with the Volkswagen ‘Dieselgate’ scandal that broke in September 2015, while more recently there have been concerns over nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and air quality in general, especially in city centres.
According to Nick Molden, CEO and founder of Emissions Analytics – a company that tests car emissions in the real world – some meet and can even beat the limits prescribed by the Euro6 emissions regulations, while others, according to Emissions Analytics’ data, emit 20 times the NOx that they should.