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NEWEMISQUESTIONS

Q1.IntheirEMIShearing,VWdeclaredthat,fromnextyearonwards,theywouldonlybringnewgasolineenginestomarketthatareequippedwithaparticulatefilter.Inlightoftheupcomingdiscussionsonthe3rdRDEpackageintheTCMVthatwilldefinetheproceduredealingwithaConformityFactorforParticleNumber(PN)andsincethetechnologyisavailabletomeetreal-worldPNemissionsbelowaConformityFactorof1.0(seeAECCpositiononthirdreal-drivingemissions(RDE)RegulatoryPackage),includingindirectinjectiongasolineengines,andsinceVWdeclareditwouldequipallitsnewcarswiththistechnology(theceramicparticulatefilter),wouldACEAendorsetheuseofthistechnologyamongstallitsmembersandagreewiththefactthat,thistime(inthe3rdRDEpackage),noconformityfactorisneededtodeviatefromtheemissionstandards?

A1.ACEAwillnotcommentontheaccuracyofreportingofwhatVWmayormaynothavesaidtoEMIS,whichismadelessclearbyhowthequestionmixesup‘newgasolineengines’and‘newcars’,orwhetherVW’s“decision”willbematchedbyotherOEM’s.However,ACEAwouldliketoexplainsomeissuesthatwillimpacthoweachOEMwouldaddressthemeasurementofPNonanRDEtest.

ThethirdRDEpackagewillincludethemeasurementofparticleemissionsoveranRDEtestforgasolinedirectinjectionengines(GDI)andthisnewtestwilldrivetheuseofgasolineparticlefilters(GPF).Newinstrumentsarebecomingavailableforsuchmeasurements.TheGPFcanbeappliedintwoways(a)asaseparatedevice(s)installedintheexhaustline(s)closetotheengine(togetherwiththeassociatedcontrolmodulesandfunctionalsensors)or(b)integratedtogetherwiththecatalyticfunctionthatpresentlyreducesemissionsofcarbonmonoxide(CO),hydrocarbons(HC)andoxidesofnitrogen(NOx)thatiscommonlyknownasa3-waycatalystintoanew4-waycatalystdevice.A4-waycatalystwillalsorequiretheassociatedcontrolmoduleandfunctionalsensorsandmaybesituatedalittlefurtherfromtheengine.SpacetoaccommodateeithertheGPFor4-waycatalystinaGDIvehicleisrequired.

Atraditionaldieselparticlefilter(DPF)isveryefficientanditaccumulatessootfromtheengineinasootcakethatbuildsonthefiltersubstrateandactsasamagnettocatchothersootparticles,atleastuntilthefilteriscloggedandexhaustgasflow,engineperformance,fueleconomy/CO2emissionsarecompromisedandthefiltermustberegenerated.Agasolinedirectinjectionengineemitsmuchlesstotalparticlemassthanadieselenginesotherateofparticlebuild-uponthefiltersubstrate(enhancingthetrappingefficiency)ismuchless.Accordingly,thecharacteristicsoftheGPFsubstratemustbedifferenttoaDPFanditmustitselftrapparticlesinsteadofwaitingtoaccumulateparticlestohelpperformthetrappingfunction.ThetrappingefficiencyoftheGPFsubstratewillalsodictateitsimpactonfueleconomy/CO2emissions,whichshouldnotbeignored.

RDEpackage3alsoaddressescoldenginestartemissionsandparticleemissionsduringthecoldenginestart-warm-upphasewillalsoplayaroleindecidingthecharacteristicsofaGPF.

UntiltheRDEpackage3isagreedandpublishedintheOfficialJournal,ACEAcannotcommentonthetypeandcharacteristicsofGPF’sthatmanufacturerswillemployonnewGDImodels.However,whatwecansayisthefiguresprovidedbytheCommissiontothememberstatesbehindthecloseddooroftheTCMVregardingthecostofaGPFandtheworkstillneededinordertoemploythemonnewvehiclesaredisappointinglyunderestimated.

ItappearstechnicallyfeasibleforaGPFtoenablecompliancewiththePNlimitof6×1011particlesperkmoverthenewWLTPlaboratorytestandoveranRDEtestàthismeansaconformityfactorof1.0.However,theinclusionofcoldenginestartinRDEpackage3requiresfurtherR&Dto

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confirmtheGPFtechnologyiseffectiveoverboththecompleteRDEtripandtheurbanpartforallplannedGDImodels.Untilthen,wecannotconfirmthataconformityfactorof1.0isfeasibleforallplannednewGDImodels.

Amajorconcernistheaccuracyofthenewportableparticleinstruments–hereindustryfundamentallydisagreeswiththeshort-cutanalysisoftheCommissionthatassumesanerrormarginofonly0.5wouldbealsosuitableforPNasforthemoredevelopedNOxinstruments.ThePNinstrumentsrequirefurtherreviewtoconfirmtheirabilitytoperformaccurateandrepeatablemeasurementsduringon-roadRDEtestingacrosssummerandwinterseasons.ThetechnicaldetailsofRDEpackage3givefartoomuchflexibilitytouselooselypreparedPNinstrumentsforRDEtestingandthatposesunfairriskstomanufacturers.

LikeVW,someothermanufacturershaveannouncedplanstointroduceGPF’sonnewGDImodelsbutthatwilltaketime.TheRDEpackage3isverylate.TheCommissionmayhavesetthePNlimitforGDIinRegulation459/2012andincludedanambiguouslywordedfootnoteindicatinganRDEtestforPNwouldbeapplicable2017/2018.However,itisnownearly4½yearssinceRegulation459/2012waspublishedandaPNRDEtestisstillnotready.Onthisbasis,itisentirelyjustifiedforindustrytorequestadequatelead-timefromwhenthenewPNRDElegislationisfinished(nowlikelytobepublishedintheOfficialJournalaroundApril/May2017)towhenallnewGDIvehiclesshouldcomply.TheGPFtechnologyisfeasiblebutimplementingthenewPNRDEtestfromSeptember2017isahugechallenge.

Inaddition,ACEAhasconcernsabouttheuseofmarketgasolineforconductingPNRDEtests.Availabledata(andnewdataisbeingcollected)showsthateventhoughmarketgasolinemaycomplywiththeFuelQualityDirectiveandthestandardEN228,thechoicearefinertakesonthegasolineblendcomponents(particularlythedistillationcharacteristics)willhaveanegativeeffectonparticleemissions.ACEAcallsontheCommissiontoaccountformarketgasolinevariabilityinRDEpackage3or4andspecificallyaddressthisinthenextrevisionoftheFuelQualityDirective.Itisonlyright,sincein-useemissionsarenowthefocus,thattheengine,theexhaustaftertreatmentsystemandthefuelqualityworkinharmonytoreducein-useemissions.

Q2.Duringthesamehearing,VWalsodeclaredthat,inthefuture,itwouldonlyallowemissiontestingtobedonebyindependentpartnersandnotin-housebytheOEM.DoesACEAagreewithVWthatfortypeapprovalandconformityofproductiontesting,noinhouseemissionstestingshouldbeallowedandthat,asageneralrule,thistestingshouldbedonebyindependenttechnicalservices(typeA)?

A2.ThereportingofwhatVWsaidinEMISaboutindependentverificationshouldbere-checkedinrelationtotheframingofthisquestion.

Type-approval,conformityofproductionandin-usecompliancetestingrequiresaccesstohighlyaccurateandwell-calibratedtestingfacilitiesthathavebeencertifiedbyanindependentthirdparty.InordertobringvehiclestothemarketwithoutdelaysandaccordingtoanOEM’snewmodelrelease,absoluteandtimelyaccesstosuchfacilitiesisrequired.

ItisabsolutelynecessaryforallOEMstohavetheirourownin-housetestingfacilitiesandequipmentwhichisaccreditedbyathirdpartyforitsmeasurementreliabilityandaccuracy.Itisacceptedpracticethatanyin-housetestingperformedbyOEMsisdoneunderthefullsurveillanceandobservationbyindependentandcertifiedthirdparties.

Themassiveincreaseintype-approvaltestingdemandedbyRDEandWLTPandinaveryshortperiodoftimemeansthatputtingalltestingouttoindependentpartnersisnotpossible,evenifthoseindependentpartnersallhadaccesstothesamefacilitiesandequipmentastheOEM’shave

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hadtoinvestinandcontinuallyimproveovermanyyears.

Q3.Carmanufacturershaveclaimedthatthereisnotasufficientlywater-tightdefinitionofnormaluseofvehiclesintheEU'semissionsregulations.However,sincethe2ndRDEpackage,"realconditionsofuse"havebeenclearlydefined,makingclearhowOEMsandnationaltypeapprovalauthoritiesshouldinterpretart.5(1)of715/2007.AreACEAanditsmembersableandwillingtorecalltheEuro5and6carsalreadyontheroadinordertorecalibratethemtomeettheEuroemissionlimitsontheroad?AndaretheyableandwillingtorecallandreprogramvehiclesoncetheEuropeanCommissionandnationalType-ApprovalAuthoritieshavecomeforwardwithguidelinestointerprettheexemptionsonthebanondefeatdevicesinArticle5(2)ofthe715/2007Regulation?

A3.ACEAwillnotanswerontheabilitytoandthejustificationtorecallandrectifyvehiclesontheroad.Allvehiclesontheroadhavebeentype-approvedandhavebeenproducedincompliancewithEurostandardsinplaceatthetimeoftype-approval.

NewrequirementssuchasWLTPandRDEenterintoforcealreadyfromSeptember2017andasecondRDEstepwillapplysoonafterfromJanuary2020.RDEpackage3nowseekstoaddmorenewrequirementswithinsufficientlead-timebeingproposed.Industryistotallyfocussedonwhatitmustdonext.

Theprincipleofanticipatedorretro-activeimplementationoffutureregulationsismorethanquestionableinlaw.

Q4.RegardingdiscrepanciesbetweenrealemissionsandthemandatorylimitsinEuro5andEuro6:forhowlonghasACEAdiscussedtheissuewithEuropeanauthorities?Couldyoudisclosethefulllistofmeeting(who,when...)withtheCommissiononthesubject?

A4.ThediscrepancyonlycameintothelightinSeptember2015.ACEAneverhadreasontodiscuss‘discrepancies’withtheCommissionsincethediscrepancieswerenotobservedorcommunicatedtoACEAbytheCommissionoranymemberstate.Consequentlytherewerenomeetingsonthisissue.OthermeetingsbetweenACEAandtheCommissionareaddressedintheregisterofmeetings.

Q5.HowhavethepracticesoftheCommission,includingthecurrent"betterregulation"driveandthenewproposalsfor"cooperatoryregulation"inEUtradedeals,shapedthewaysinwhichACEAdiscussesandinfluencesEUindustryregulation,includingemissionstandards?

A5.Therehasbeennoimpactatall.ThebetterregulationdrivehasgeneratedmanywordsbutsofarnoactionbytheCommissiontotakeintoaccounttheprinciplesofbetterregulationontherecentandcomingemissionstandardsaddressingWLTPandRDE.

Forexample,wehaveanRDEpackage3thatissupposedtobeagreedinlateDecember.ItwilllikelybepublishedaroundApril/May2017andtheCommissionproposesitmustapplyfromSeptember2017àthatis4to5monthslead-timetoaddressverycomplexnewrequirementsthatrequirevehiclere-designandnewhardwareimplementations.

Let’scomparethattotheUnitedStates,longseenastheguidinglightofemissionstandards.EPArulemakingfollowsawell-definedprotocolandprinciplesoflegislation-makingtheEUcouldtakenoteof:

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• TheCleanAirActobligestheEPAtoprovideindustrywithadequatelead-timetocomply,dependingonthecircumstancesofthelegislation.

• TheCleanAirActspecificallylaysdownthefollowingprinciplesforstandardsaffectingheavy-dutyvehicles:

o Newstandardsmustgiveindustry4modelyearsoflead-time.

o Newstandardsmustgiveindustry3modelyearsofregulatorystability.

• EPAregulationsdonotapplytoallvehiclesfromacertaindate.Regulationsarephased-inoverafewyearsthatallowsindustrytoaddresscertainnewmodelsfirstandbuildupto100%vehiclecompliance.