A public consultation has been opened by the European Commission on a draft proposal to further improve the quality of WLTP and RDE vehicle certification processes. On the menu, less tolerance, more controls.
It is a subject that sows at this moment the disorder in the automotive world: the homologation. Approval of the consumption and CO2 emissions of vehicles, which responds to two acronyms that have become black bugs of manufacturers: WLTP and RDE.
As a reminder, Europe, faced with the marked disparities between the levels of emissions and consumption of vehicles certified with the NEDC cycle and the actual levels, has decided to set up two new approval processes to bring the consumptions and theoretical emissions to those observed under real conditions. It is two processes, officially entered into force in September 2017 for new models, answer to the name of WLTP and RDE. The first advocates laboratory tests, but with an application closer to reality, while the second recommends tests in real conditions. For existing models, the deadline for the approval following WLTP and RDE was set for September 2018. And shaking the manufacturers, whose ranges may well suffer a severe blow of malus.
Towards even more severe processes?
The worst may be yet to come. The European Commission has opened a public consultation on a draft proposal to further improve the quality of WLTP and RDE tests. Objective: “Ensure more reliable results and restore consumer confidence.” Concerning WLTP, Europe wants to perfect the procedure by eliminating the tolerance margins on the conditions in which the tests are carried out, such as the speed tolerance margin for example. And also introducing for the first time on-board fuel consumption monitoring to compare laboratory results with real-world CO2 emissions.
Concerning the RDE process, the European Commission also recommends reducing the margins of technical uncertainty, but also increasing the emission controls of vehicles in circulation as well as tests carried out by independent and accredited third parties. The European Commission is giving itself until March 5 to gather the reactions of the public, after which, it will present a legal proposal for a vote by the Member States to the Technical Committee of motor vehicles.