Page 28 - European Energy Innovation - Winter 2015 publication
P. 28
Winter 2015 European Energy Innovation
AUTOMOTIVE EMISSIONS
point to be established: that cleaner with a dust-loaded So should we be angry about
this story is complicated. It is receptacle will be reduced due
really complicated. Part of the to dust accumulation”. There GLHVHOJDWH"$EVROXWHO\%XW
background is the validity of are clearly wider aspects to be
the emissions limits themselves. considered here, which include should we be surprised by it?
Since September 2015, there the suitability and applicability No. Mankind already has a long
has been a requirement that of performance standards to the and undistinguished history of
all newly-registered diesel real world. And that is the point: subordinating environmental
passenger cars meet the Euro 6 a manufacturer who breaches concerns to business expediency.
NOX emission limit of 80 mg/km the regulations must face the The anger and sense of betrayal
consequences; but who really were eloquently expressed by
RYHUDSUHVFULEHGFHUWLƓFDWLRQ
EHQHƓWVDSDUWIURPWKHODZ\HUV %HOORQDōV'LUHFWRURI3ROLF\
cycle (the New European Driving
Cycle, NEDC). When a recent if the regulations themselves are Research Hallstein Havåg, when
ICCT – ADAC19 study analysed next to meaningless? he argued22 that “Volkswagen
the emissions performance of had the choice between making
32 Euro 6 cars from a range Another part of the background
of manufacturers over both is economic. Other German PRUHHIƓFLHQWFRPEXVWLRQ
the NEDC and the Worldwide manufacturers are already mired
Harmonized Light Vehicles in this scandal, and according engines or manipulating the
Test Cycle (WLTC), all vehicles to a recent Reuters article, performance of their engines to
except one met the 80 mg/ Germany’s auto industry accounts cheat the system, and they chose
km NOX limit over the NEDC. the latter option”. So should VW
However, they performed poorly IRUURXJKO\RQHLQƓYHMREVDQG be punished? Yes; and severely,
on the part of the WLTC that for it has surely forfeited the
lies outside the NEDC. The for 17.9 percent of Germany’s right to conduct business by
WTLC is thought to provide a 1.1 trillion euros in exported
more realistic representation goods last year217KHVHƓJXUHV LWVFXUUHQWVWDQGDUGV%XWGRHV
of real-world driving and is dwarf even Industry Week’s $191
expected to replace the NEDC. billion assessment of the damage LWVHUYH(XURSHZHOOWRLQŴLFW
Put another way, the current crop to the German brand. And this
of diesel cars meets the current damage may ultimately translate upon VW such such sanctions as
regulations, but these do not into lost business, lost export and might drive them out of business
represent real-world driving very lost jobs. Punishment for VW’s altogether? Let us examine such
well and will be superseded. wrongdoing may not fall only
upon the guilty. DSURSRVLWLRQEULHŴ\'HPDQGIRU
0HDQZKLOHVXVSLFLRQRIŏRIƓFLDOŐ
cars surely would not evaporate
SHUIRUPDQFHƓJXUHVKDVUHFHQWO\ suddenly. Customers (even
German ones) would still be able
extended into the domestic to buy cars (even German ones).
appliance market, where UK Therefore VW’s workers (perhaps
manufacturer Dyson sued especially the German ones)
*HUPDQJLDQW%6++DXVJHU¦WH
which manufactures home
DSSOLDQFHVXQGHUWKH%RVFKDQG
Siemens brands, over the veracity
RILWVHQHUJ\HIƓFLHQF\FODLPV
This was strenuously repudiated
by the German company in
a countersuit. Tellingly, when
it dismissed Dyson’s claims20,
the ECJ acknowledged that
“the suction performance and
HQHUJ\HIƓFLHQF\RIDYDFXXP
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
AUTOMOTIVE EMISSIONS
point to be established: that cleaner with a dust-loaded So should we be angry about
this story is complicated. It is receptacle will be reduced due
really complicated. Part of the to dust accumulation”. There GLHVHOJDWH"$EVROXWHO\%XW
background is the validity of are clearly wider aspects to be
the emissions limits themselves. considered here, which include should we be surprised by it?
Since September 2015, there the suitability and applicability No. Mankind already has a long
has been a requirement that of performance standards to the and undistinguished history of
all newly-registered diesel real world. And that is the point: subordinating environmental
passenger cars meet the Euro 6 a manufacturer who breaches concerns to business expediency.
NOX emission limit of 80 mg/km the regulations must face the The anger and sense of betrayal
consequences; but who really were eloquently expressed by
RYHUDSUHVFULEHGFHUWLƓFDWLRQ
EHQHƓWVDSDUWIURPWKHODZ\HUV %HOORQDōV'LUHFWRURI3ROLF\
cycle (the New European Driving
Cycle, NEDC). When a recent if the regulations themselves are Research Hallstein Havåg, when
ICCT – ADAC19 study analysed next to meaningless? he argued22 that “Volkswagen
the emissions performance of had the choice between making
32 Euro 6 cars from a range Another part of the background
of manufacturers over both is economic. Other German PRUHHIƓFLHQWFRPEXVWLRQ
the NEDC and the Worldwide manufacturers are already mired
Harmonized Light Vehicles in this scandal, and according engines or manipulating the
Test Cycle (WLTC), all vehicles to a recent Reuters article, performance of their engines to
except one met the 80 mg/ Germany’s auto industry accounts cheat the system, and they chose
km NOX limit over the NEDC. the latter option”. So should VW
However, they performed poorly IRUURXJKO\RQHLQƓYHMREVDQG be punished? Yes; and severely,
on the part of the WLTC that for it has surely forfeited the
lies outside the NEDC. The for 17.9 percent of Germany’s right to conduct business by
WTLC is thought to provide a 1.1 trillion euros in exported
more realistic representation goods last year217KHVHƓJXUHV LWVFXUUHQWVWDQGDUGV%XWGRHV
of real-world driving and is dwarf even Industry Week’s $191
expected to replace the NEDC. billion assessment of the damage LWVHUYH(XURSHZHOOWRLQŴLFW
Put another way, the current crop to the German brand. And this
of diesel cars meets the current damage may ultimately translate upon VW such such sanctions as
regulations, but these do not into lost business, lost export and might drive them out of business
represent real-world driving very lost jobs. Punishment for VW’s altogether? Let us examine such
well and will be superseded. wrongdoing may not fall only
upon the guilty. DSURSRVLWLRQEULHŴ\'HPDQGIRU
0HDQZKLOHVXVSLFLRQRIŏRIƓFLDOŐ
cars surely would not evaporate
SHUIRUPDQFHƓJXUHVKDVUHFHQWO\ suddenly. Customers (even
German ones) would still be able
extended into the domestic to buy cars (even German ones).
appliance market, where UK Therefore VW’s workers (perhaps
manufacturer Dyson sued especially the German ones)
*HUPDQJLDQW%6++DXVJHU¦WH
which manufactures home
DSSOLDQFHVXQGHUWKH%RVFKDQG
Siemens brands, over the veracity
RILWVHQHUJ\HIƓFLHQF\FODLPV
This was strenuously repudiated
by the German company in
a countersuit. Tellingly, when
it dismissed Dyson’s claims20,
the ECJ acknowledged that
“the suction performance and
HQHUJ\HIƓFLHQF\RIDYDFXXP
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
