Builders accused of evaluating their emissions … on the rise!

Usually, when cheating on vehicle pollutant emission levels is mentioned, it is more like a reduction. But this time, it's another theory that has just surfaced. According to the European Commission, car manufacturers have introduced a new subterfuge to inflate the level of pollutant emissions from their vehicles. "Evidence shows that pollutant emission values ​​officially declared by the manufacturers have been inflated ", notes the European Commission in a research document sent to AFP by the ICCT (International Council for Clean Transport), the NGO behind the revelations on dieselgate

The reasoning of what seems a priori rather illogical: make approvals in WLTP worse than they really would be in order to claim less ambitious targets in terms of reducing emissions in the years to come. As a reminder, the European Commission has voted for a drop of 15% by 2025 and 30% by 2030. Goals well above what is currently considered feasible by ACEA .

Overvalued levels of 4.5% on average

To achieve these higher levels, manufacturers would disable the Start & Stop, but would also play on the pbadage of reports gearbox. No specific car manufacturer has been named, but the European Commission fears that many could be involved. On average, the values ​​reported by the manufacturers of the WLTP cycle emissions would be 4.5% higher than those obtained via WLTP tests carried out by independent organizations. Inflation has reached 13% in some cases. On the other hand, the value declared according to the old standards would systematically be about 4% lower than the measured value.

The reactions were obviously not delayed. Two European commissioners, Miguel Canete in charge of actions on climate and energy, and Elzbieta Bienkowska in charge of Industry, alerted Austria, currently president of the EU, and the Commission in a letter published on Twitter, again without ever naming a brand.

A Maneuver that Could Change the Objectives?

The two European Commissioners fear that these inflated results may actually change the objectives of 2025 and 2030. " These test vehicles , once approved, will be on the market and registered in 2020 and without intervention, this will lead to an increase in WLTP objectives of 2021 ", they stress. The report encourages the Commission not to base its calculations on the values ​​declared by the manufacturers, but on the measured values.

Fears shared by Transport & Environment Association. " By manipulating the WLTP approvals, the builders cheat on the 2025/2030 targets even before they were approved ," said its executive director William Todts . Who also noted that once the new regulations were in place, car manufacturers could also simply test their vehicles with the right processes, and thus more easily reach potentially more accommodating goals.