A new initiative has been announced by Emissions Analytics to help consumers better understand the real-world emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from new cars.
The NOx accreditation scheme has been set up to help buyers and company car drivers clearly identify the cars emitting the lowest quantities of harmful pollutants and will measure the NOx performance of cars in real-world driving conditions.
Set for launch in early 2016, the accreditation scheme is intended to complement the forthcoming Real Driving Emissions regulations for new vehicle certification and will be separate from and independent of vehicle manufacturers’ certification tests.
To ensure the most effective and robust system, Emissions Analytics has brought together a group of experts to provide advice and guidance, review the test and rating methodology, monitor the regulatory context, and provide input into the wider development of the scheme. They include:
Professor Helen ApSimon – Air Pollution Studies, Imperial College London, UK
Dr Adam Boeis – Department of Engineering, Cambridge University, UK
John German – Senior Fellow, International Council on Clean Transportation, USA
Dr Marc Stettler – Centre for Transport Studies, Imperial College London, UK
Professor Martin Williams – Air Quality Scientist, King’s College London, UK
Each car will be given a rating allowing company drivers to compare the performance of cars against each other. The ratings will be published and publicly available for all, including manufacturers, local and national governments, and fleet operators.
This will be welcomed news for many following the recent Volkswagen emissions scandal and the growing criticism of how CO2 figures are calculated using the current system.
The rating scheme will formally launch in Spring 2016 with the publication of the first test results, covering cars launched in the previous year. More details of how the scheme will rate vehicles, and the wider process, will be published closer to its launch.
