The most “green” cars according to “Green NCAP” electric at the top, good diesel power
07/11/2019
The results of the second test series: 5 STARS: Nissan Leaf (electric), 4 STARS: Opel Corsa (petrol), 3 STARS: Audi A4 Avant g-tron (methane), Mercedes Class C and Renault Scenic (diesel)
Emissions and actual consumption of the cars on the market revealed by the tests – objective and independent – carried out, both in the laboratory and in traffic, by Green NCAP, the consortium, wanted by FIA (International Automobile Federation) and Euro NCAP, to promote less cars pollutants and more efficient in terms of fuel consumption and energy.
Five cars under the second test series. The maximum score – 5 stars – was obtained from an electric car: Nissan Leaf. Four stars went to the Opel Corsa (petrol); three to the Audi A4 Avant g-tron (methane), Mercedes C-Class and Renault Scenic (diesel).
The second-generation Nissan Leaf, (presented in 2017), a pure electric vehicle powered by a 40 kW / h battery, achieves the maximum score due to emissions. Some critical issues were found in the field of consumption (energy efficiency assessment). There were no obvious improvements between the ecological driving mode compared to the standard one, with a high increase in consumption in the severe driving test on a fully loaded highway. In comparison with the other two electric models analyzed in the previous test series (Hunday Ioniq and BMW i3), energy consumption was slightly higher.
The fifth generation of the Opel Corsa, powered by a Euro 6d temp petrol engine, achieves good results in the emission tests, with a rating of 9 on a scale of 1 to 10, thanks to the post-treatment with three-way catalytic converter and particulate filter, and consumption. Some criticalities in the laboratory tests for the emissions of hot particulate matter (PN) and carbon monoxide (CO) on a fully loaded highway. Consumption is also the highest in the fully loaded highway test.
The Audi A4 Avant in the “g-tron” version is methane fueled (Compressed Natural Gas, CNG), but it can also run on petrol, (being equipped with a small reserve of fuel for emergency situations). The tests were performed with both power supplies. Good results from natural gas operation with low emission levels, with the exception of carbon monoxide (CO). In the fully loaded motorway test hydrocarbon (HC) emissions were high. Although the overall assessments stem from the performance of the natural gas operation, the A4 was penalized by the Euro 6b engine, can still be marketed but will soon have to be updated to the Euro 6d. The test will be repeated at the time of the new engine.
The fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class achieved an excellent result in terms of polluting emissions, with the highest score recorded so far by a non-electric engine, and a score equal to 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 . Admirable performance in all tests, both in the laboratory and on the road. Overall, the result has shown that even diesel engines, with selective reduction catalytic converter and particulate filter, offer exceptionally low emissions. The overall score was penalized by the energy efficiency tests, with marginal results in the “hot” laboratory test and in real driving conditions on a fully loaded highway.
In the fourth generation of the Renault Scenic model, the catalytic converter and particulate filter made it possible to limit polluting emissions with excellent results in all tests, with the exception of highway driving with fully loaded cars, where emissions of nitrogen oxides were high (NOx) ). Energy efficiency is also good: the judgment of 5.9 prevented the achievement of 4 stars, it would have been enough to reach a “score” of 6.
The Green NCAP consortium – made up of Governments, Automobile Clubs (including the ICA), consumer representatives, test laboratories and university research centers in 8 European countries – makes available to all certified information relating to the real environmental sustainability of the vehicles, beyond what is required by the regulations in force or declared by the manufacturers.
In this initial phase, Green NCAP took into consideration only the energy used during driving, it will subsequently evaluate the entire life cycle of the car (Life Cycle Assessment), including the energy consumed for the production and disposal of vehicles .