Millbrook Welcomes New Real Driving Emissions Regulations

• Real Driving Emissions (RDE) Regulation outlines new additional procedure for testing exhaust emissions of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles under normal driving conditions
• Package 1 of the new Regulation introduces methods that must now be adhered to when testing vehicles to obtain Type Approval
• New testing method requires use of a Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) and is expected to substantially improve air quality
• Millbrook has invested in its PEMS equipment since 2013 and has the latest units available to support the industry’s testing requirements

Millbrook Group, the leading independent vehicle test, validation and engineering service provider and owner of winter and tyre testing specialists, Test World, has welcomed the introduction of new regulations that update vehicle testing requirements. The new procedures require the use of a sophisticated Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) to provide real world results to supplement laboratory testing.

Type-approval emission requirements for motor vehicles have been tightened significantly through the Euro standards. While there have been emissions reductions across a range of regulated pollutants, further improvements in this area are required in order to improve air quality, particularly in urban areas where exceedances are being seen over European air quality targets. A particular area of concern relates to NOx emissions, principally from diesel engines, to which current high levels of primary NO2 concentration are related.

The new Real Driving Emissions (RDE) Regulation (Package 1) has now been published and outlines the procedures that must be followed when testing exhaust emissions of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The revised testing process requires the use of a Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) to provide results that are more representative of real-world driving conditions. The latest equipment provides full gaseous measurements of CO, NOx, NO, NO2, CO2 and O2.

Package 2 of the RDE Regulation is expected to be announced later in 2016 and will outline emissions limits that manufacturers will be required to comply with. While those limits are due to be published later this year, compliance will not be enforced until September 2017.

Phil Stones, Chief Powertrain Engineer at Millbrook, says: “It’s important to note that the changes to emissions testing regulations are not a knee-jerk reaction to the events of recent months, but have been a long time in the planning. The Package 1 regulation became a mandatory part of Type Approval from the 20thApril and from 2017 specific emissions targets will be imposed. Our view is that these changes will create the right framework for the industry to adhere to and will provide consumers with the clarity they require.”

Millbrook Group became an early adopter of PEMS and has conducted a number of projects across light, heavy and off-road vehicles accurately and repeatedly to gather key data that will help shape future technologies and fuels. At its Proving Ground in the UK, Millbrook has three of the latest PEMS units available, from each of the major suppliers, to support the industry’s testing requirements. The company has been using PEMS equipment since 2013 and has extensive experience of the procedures required under the new regulations.

For further information about Millbrook visit www.millbrook.co.uk, email info@millbrook.co.uk, telephone +44(0)1525 404242 or find us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

ENDS

About Millbrook:

Millbrook Group provides vehicle test, validation and engineering services to customers in the automotive, transport, tyre, petrochemical, defence and security industries. It is independent and impartial in everything it does.

It has a range of test facilities for components and full vehicles. These include varied indoor and outdoor test tracks in the UK and Northern Finland, engine dynamometers, environmental chambers, crash laboratories and advanced emissions chassis dynamometers.

Millbrook’s employees are passionate about safety, customer service and technical excellence, making them ideal partners at any stage in the development and launch of the vehicles of tomorrow.

For further Millbrook press information, please contact Torque:

Peter Haynes   -  020 7952 1084 or phaynes@torqueagencygroup.com
Adam Forshaw -  020 7952 1082 or aforshaw@torqueagencygroup.com