European auto manufacturers are protesting against the strict Euro 6 emissions targets imposed by European legislation, which will be even tougher when new standards become applicable in 2017.
In a September press release following the VW emissions scandal, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) stated that while they are cognizant of the gravity of the situation there is no indication that the issue is industry-wide, as all Euro 6 diesel cars on the market are in compliance with the legal requirement.
The current EU legal requirements require the vehicle to undergo a test performed under laboratory conditions. The ACEA is pushing for Real Driving Emissions (RDE) tests with the full backing of the European automotive industry, as this will be a more realistic reflection of the emissions control.
According to an article in Autoexpress earlier this month, by 2020 EU legislation will require a 0.080 g/km limit for nitrogen oxides emission in a two-phase implementation with car manufacturers given a latitude from 2017 to 2020. The ACEA finds these limits hard to implement and has asked for a “conformity factor” of 2.72 which will increase the allowed NOx limit to 0.220 g/km.
While diesel offers a much better alternative to regular petrol, the limitations on emissions may result in a set-back for most diesel car manufacturers.