The European Commission has opened a public consultation on a draft proposal further to improve the quality of car emissions tests to ensure more reliable results and rebuild consumer confidence.

New and improved car emissions tests have been mandatory since 1 September 2017: tests in real driving conditions (“Real Driving Emissions” – RDE) and an improved laboratory test (“World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure” – WLTP).

The Commission is tightening the screws further by improving these tests and introducing more controls to guarantee that vehicles already in circulation are in conformity with the emission limits.

The proposal which is open for consultation aims at reducing margins of technical uncertainty in RDE testing; increasing emissions checks of cars in circulation; and testing by independent and accredited third parties.

The Commission also proposes to improve the WLTP procedure by eliminating test flexibilities and introducing for the first time on-board fuel and/or electric energy consumption monitoring, thereby making it possible to compare laboratory results for CO₂ emissions with the average real driving situation.

On the basis of the public feedback received by 5 April, the Commission will table a legal proposal for a vote by the Member States in the Technical Committee of Motor Vehicles (TCMV).