EU introduces on-road emission testing of cars

The European Union has implemented on-road emission testing of vehicles from today (September 1, 2017) for all new cars on sale. The Real Driving Emissions test procedure (RDE), as the tests are known, have been introduced to reduce the discrepancies between the current laboratory tests and actual on-road emissions from vehicles.

The new rules will be applicable to all new car models from September 2017. Manufacturers will have to make existing models compliant with the tests between September 2018 and January 2019.

This new procedure is an aftermath of the Volkswagen emissions scandal of 2015. It will use portable emission measuring systems (PEMS) attached to the vehicles. There have been no changes made to the emission limits under Euro 6 for light vehicles and Euro VI for heavy vehicles. However, vehicles with a gap in laboratory testing and RDE will not be allowed on the roads.

The European Commission claims that despite the introduction of stricter emission norms since 1991 (Euro norms), the resultant reduction in exhaust particulate matter (pm) and other pollutants has been lesser than expected. This is due to the difference between laboratory and real-life tests. It is particularly higher in the case of diesel vehicles.