Car manufacturers not happy with time frame for real world driving emission rules
Car manufacturers not happy with time frame for real world driving emission rules
Car manufacturers have written to the European Commission requesting more time in order to implement real world driving emissions rules.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has requested more reasonable lead-times in the implementation of the next package of the Real Driving Emissions (RDE) test. The car manufacturers are claiming that the staged roll-out means planning has become an 'impossible task'.
The European Commission is proposing legislation that will have major implications for car manufacturers in Europe. The new rules will give the car manufacturing industry only a few months to comply.
Although the new rules are quite stringent, the car manufacturing industry is welcoming the introduction of stricter testing methods for the measurement of pollutant and CO2 emissions.
The updated laboratory test known as ‘WLTP’ will make the testing of pollutants and CO2 more robust, and the new RDE test will be used to measure pollutant emissions under real driving conditions.
The RDE legislation will be implemented in two stages.The first stage will start in September 2017. The second step of RDE will require major hardware changes and these changes must be implemented by January 2020.
Manufacturers are now accelerating their efforts in investments to ensure vehicles are developed, designed and produced in time for the first RDE step. Two more RDE Regulations are due in the first half of 2017.
The third part of this legislation, RDE package 3 will introduce significant new measures that will be applied from September 2017. This will be agreed by the regulatory committee on 20 December.
If these regulations are passed successfully, they will come into force under EU law nearly around June. It’s at this time, manufacturers will know with certainty what they must do to comply and finally proceed with their plans.
ACEA Secretary General Erik Jonnaert said, “The problem we face is very practical: this regulatory uncertainty simply leaves too little time for manufacturers to make the necessary changes to the design of vehicles, engines, exhaust systems and assembly lines,”
“That is why manufacturers are calling for a reasonable approach with sufficient lead-time, fully in line with the principles of better regulation advocated by the Commission.”
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