European Union votes to toughen emission test for PHEVs, encourages sales of BEVs

The auto industry has lately faced a lot of criticism around the results of emissions. Reports suggest that the current tests are producing results up to four times below the real-world emissions. Following the harsh criticism, the European Union plans to toughen its traditional methods for measuring CO2 emissions from plug-in hybrid cars. 

The sources conveying the news said data from fuel consumption meters that were stated by EU law to be built in new cars from 2021 itself will now be incorporated in the test to fetch some more realistic results. In addition, it will help certify some true figures of how much hybrid cars still rely on internal combustion engines over the electric battery. 

"Emissions have still been falling every year, and that's a real success," Peter Mock, Europe managing director of the  International Council for Clean Transportation (ICCT), said. "But the big problem is the hybrids - that's what's deceptive," he further added. 

Referring to the average estimation of how far a hybrid operates in electric mode, Petr Dolejsi, sustainable transport director of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), stated that "the utility factor will be changed."

The new methodology could imply that some carmakers would have to increase their sales of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) to meet and make up for all the plug-in hybrids sold in 2021 in Europe to comply with the EU emissions targets and avoid sizeable fines. 

Source even said the revised testing method is likely to be enforced by 2025. 

Besides ensuring the set emissions norms are met, carmakers are still trying to recover their image destroyed after the 2015 Dieselgate scandal, where multiple companies used illegal software to cheat emissions tests. 

Carmakers usually release the results of their emissions tests at the beginning of the year. However, the official figures are not printed by the European Commission until later, which makes it pretty confusing for us to decide whether to rely on available data or wait for the official one. 

Although the EU had voted to make it obligatory for carmakers to assemble fuel consumption meters into their automobiles from 2021, it was not yet apparent whether this data would be integrated into the emissions tests.

Source: Reuters

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