Author: AIRIndex Author

Clean Air Day 2019 – Using the AIR Index to Boost the Impact of City Clean Air Zones

London, 20 June 2019 – Clean Air Day 2019 is a timely call to cities across Europe to turn policy ambition into action, following London’s lead in reducing harmful vehicle emissions through its clean air zone. The good news is that all cities can take rapid, fair and effective action that will enable us all to breathe more easily.

Allow Independent Road-testing (AIR) welcomed London’s pioneering approach as one of the first cities in the world to introduce an Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in April 2019 with the aim of bringing air quality into compliance with European air quality standards (1).

Now that the first results following London’s launch are available, and as other cities across the UK and Europe plan their own ULEZ policies to control vehicle access, AIR believes that an adjustment is needed in order to meet the goal of reducing vehicle-related urban air pollution which is tantalisingly close. For example, by adopting findings from the AIR Index, London’s ULEZ could be three times more effective than it is already.

The existing ULEZ policy in London is based on Euro emissions standards (minimum Euro 6 for diesel and Euro 4 for petrol) for penalty-free access, but unfortunately independent emissions testing reveals that up to half of Euro 6 diesel cars produce much higher levels of NOx from the tailpipe during city driving than during homologation laboratory tests. This means that the ULEZ policy is inadvertently allowing in over-emitting vehicles which are contributing to the problem of poor air quality.

AIR proposes that ULEZ policy makers in London and other cities developing their own solutions should use the independent AIR Index emissions rating for vehicles, in conjunction with Euro standards to provide the most effective reduction of harmful vehicle emissions.

“Clean Air Day 2019 is a great opportunity to focus on the benefits of ULEZ policies to improve urban air quality and we can make it even better and deliver results even faster with a few adjustments to keep out over-emitting vehicles,” said AIR Index Co-Founder, Nick Molden. “Should London choose the 270 mg/km of NOx tailpipe emissions used in Germany – which is an AIR Index rating of ‘C’ – as the basis, NOx reduction from road transport would be up to three times more effective than its current system.”

The AIR Index also provides ULEZ policy makers with a fair way to control access for vehicles of all ages, because it is based on the actual emissions produced, meaning that an older, lower emitting vehicle could travel charge-free in the zone, whilst a newer more polluting vehicle may be charged. This ensures that access to towns and cities does not unfairly penalise people unable to afford newer, and typically more expensive vehicles.

Massimo Fedeli, AIR Index Co-Founder said “Policy makers developing ULEZ regulations need to improve local air quality based on rules which also have the political support of local people who travel in towns and cities. When the AIR Index is used as the basis for policy this ensures that access is based on actual emissions and does not punish drivers unable to afford the newest vehicles.”

The AIR Index rates vehicles tested in urban conditions to the same standardised methodology providing comparable NOx emissions levels that more accurately reflect the contribution to urban air quality than existing tests performed in a laboratory.

It has been created to inform and empower car buyers and city policy makers with the real facts about vehicle emissions when making choices about car purchase and usage. A simple A-E colour-coded rating, shows the difference between clean and dirty vehicles based on how much NOx comes out of a car’s tailpipe in urban driving.

ENDS

Media contacts

Email   PressOfficer@allowAIR.org

Call      +44 (0) 7815 863 968

A full suite of media assets can be downloaded from this link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4079uzjm63nshiy/AACxkFdMQZ70Q6LO_a6-VLmfa?dl=0

About the AIR Index

Cars rated for the AIR Index are tested according to the CWA 17379 standardised methodology which ensures that the results are independent, comparable and can be used as the basis for a legal framework for vehicle policies.

The testing is carried out on at least two cars, sourced independently from vehicle manufacturers with portable emissions testing units (PEMS) recording actual on-road driving in towns and cities.  For a result to be considered acceptable for rating in the AIR Index there must be at least five, 10 km trips completed during three separate journeys on at least two matching vehicles in line with the CEN standard. 

The results of the tests provide the basis to rate the vehicle according to the A-E, colour-coded scale.

The AIR Index website includes more than 200 results of the first tests conducted with ratings A-E, but also provides a facility to check other vehicles on the road to see if they would be allowed access (or not) to the 14 German cities which have set a NOx limit of 270 mg/km under the Federal Emissions Control Act.

Other cities across Europe are considering a similar threshold to control access and allow only the cleanest cars to enter. Car buyers should consider carefully the implication for a vehicle’s residual value, and their own mobility requirements, if it is unable to enter a town or city where emissions are controlled.

About AIR

AIR (Allow Independent Road-testing) is an independent alliance of public and private organisations, which promotes the voluntary uptake of independent on-road emissions testing.

The alliance’s key objective is to contribute to delivering a cost-effective and timely reduction in harmful vehicle emissions in urban areas, while ensuring the lowest CO2 emissions from the global vehicle fleet.

AIR seeks to empower citizens, industry and public authorities to take informed decisions on their mobility practices and policies by promoting full transparency on vehicle emission levels.

Scientific Advisory Committee

The development of the AIR Index has been led by the world’s leading academics in the fields of emissions and air quality and they make up AIR’s Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC).

  • Professor Helen ApSimon, Professor of Air Pollution Studies, Imperial College London.
  • Dr Adam Boies, Reader in the Energy Division, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge.
  • Dan Carder, Director for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions, West Virginia University.
  • Dr Claire Holman, Chair, Institute of Air Quality Management.
  • Dr Guido Lanzani, Head of Air Quality Unit, Regional Environmental Agency, Lombardy Region.
  • Dr Norbert Ligterink, Senior Research Scientist, TNO.
  • Martin Lutz, Head of Sector Air Quality Management, Berlin Senate Department for Environment, Transport and Climate Protection.
  • Dr Xavier Querol, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish Council for Scientific Research.
  • Dr Marc Stettler, Lecturer in Transport and the Environment, Centre for Transport Studies, Imperial College London.
  • Dr Martin Williams, Professor of Air Quality Research, Kings College London.

AIR’s full mission statement can be found here.

Notes on European Air Quality

The European Environment Agency provides independent information on the environment for those involved in developing, adopting, implementing and evaluating environmental policy and the general public. In its latest report, published in April 2018, updated in November 2018, the European Environment Agency stated that for particles and nitrogen dioxide, because of the widespread exceedance levels in urban areas, it is unlikely that the air quality standards for these pollutants will be met by 2020 across the EU.

1 see https://www.eea.europa.eu/airs/2018/environment-and-health/outdoor-air-quality-urban-areas  

Background to the AIR Index testing process

Emissions Analytics (EA), founded by Nick Molden (Co-founder of AIR), was a pioneer in methodologies to test on-road emissions using Portable Emissions Systems (PEMS) equipment. The experience and insight gained from more than 2,000 tests conducted by EA informed the development of the CWA 17379 protocol on which the AIR Index rating is based.

Emissions Analytics has licensed the use of its data including the EQUA Index within the AIR Index database, enabling insight for car buyers and policy makers as to whether vehicles are allowed access (or not) to enter cities which have set a NOx limit of 270 mg/km.

Further information about Allow Independent Road-testing (AIR) can be found at www.allowair.org 

Potential improvement in ULEZ air quality using the AIR Index as the access framework

The Mayor of London’s office released the first data on usage of the London ULEZ in May 2019 which revealed that 35% of non-compliant, non-exempt cars have stopped entering the zone.

Analysis by Emissions Analytics for AIR suggests that the absence of these non-compliant, non-exempt vehicles corresponds to a 27% reduction in NOx emissions. This is based on an estimate of the likely model mix of these vehicles and hence their expected emissions.

If London were to choose the 270 mg/km of NOx tailpipe emissions used in Germany – which is an AIR Index rating of ‘C’ – as the framework for access, this would exclude vehicles rated as ‘D’ or ‘E’. When this is applied to the likely model mix in the ULEZ, this would lead to a NOx reduction estimated at 89%, based on the actual emissions of the vehicles, nearly three times better than the current framework.

Download: Clean Air Day 2019 – Using the AIR Index to Boost The Impact of City Clean Air Zones

Download press release

AIR Index ‘A’ rating for Jaguar Land Rover

By Massimo Fedeli
First published in Auto Retail Bulletin, May 2019

Car buyers were recently invited to rank a group of cars from the cleanest to the dirtiest, based on the actual NOx emissions produced in urban driving. The cleanest car was a full-size SUV and the dirtiest a small supermini. No-one placed the order of the six cars correctly, and it was the same result when journalists and policy makers carried out the exercise. 

The problem with such widespread lack of awareness of the facts about vehicle emissions is that cars which can make a real difference to improving urban air quality, reducing CO2 emissions and reducing fuel consumption are being shunned by car buyers. The complicated truth that new diesel technology is clean and can now make a real improvement to air quality is still being overshadowed by the clouds of mistrust from Dieselgate. The result is bad for everyone as CO2 levels rise and air quality stagnates in our towns and cities.

In 2019, Allow Independent Road-testing (AIR), launched the AIR Index to inform and empower car buyers and city policy makers with the facts about vehicle emissions when making choices about car purchase and usage. A simple A-to-E colour-coded rating shows the difference between clean and dirty vehicles. The on-road tests are carried out on cars sourced independently from car makers and the results are published online and free of charge.

Following the launch of the AIR Index, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) asked AIR to test and rate vehicles from its Jaguar and Land Rover ranges. The results reveal that the new diesel engines fitted to Jaguar’s E-PACE and Land Rover’s Range Rover Evoque are amongst the cleanest cars on sale of any type, not just vehicles within the SUV segment. Along with the Land Rover Discovery and Land Rover Discovery Sport, all four vehicles received an ‘A’ rating in the AIR Index for urban NOx emissions.

JLR now use the AIR Index ratings on the home pages of the respective websites for each model, providing car buyers with immediate visibility about the emissions for the car. A click through to the AIR Index website offers further information and showroom Point of Sales materials can also explain the results if required.

Rawdon Glover, Jaguar Land Rover UK Managing Director said,“The modern diesel engine certainly has a place in the current automotive landscape, and I’m confident that the AIR Index will provide the trusted, independent information essential to inform car buyers as they consider their next vehicle.”

AIR works with organisations and individuals committed to improving air quality by providing clear and simple information to help consumers make the right vehicle choices. Whether that choice is petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric it can now be made with facts rather than confused urban myths.    

Massimo Fedeli, former Deputy Chairman of Fiat UK is the Co-founder of Allow Independent Road-testing (AIR), the not for profit company created to find practical solutions to the problem of urban air quality. AIR’s scientific advisory committee of leading air quality and vehicle emissions experts includes Dan Carder who led the team which uncovered Dieselgate.

Maximising the value of clean cars

By Massimo Fedeli
First published in Auto Retail Profit, May 2019

The 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC diesel in your showroom is becoming a problem. It arrived as a trade-in with the right spec and at the right money but there’s been little interest and no offers. With the target stockturn date approaching it will probably be traded-on, removing any profit opportunity. But, is there something practical that you could do now, to sell the car and retain the margin?

The problem is consumer perception. In the last two years, car buyers’ trust evaporated when car makers’ over-stated mpg figures were revealed, followed by Dieselgate and then the confusing WLTP and RDE solutions. Add in the latest uncertainty about which cars may be banned from cities in the future, and it is no surprise that today only 42% of searches of the 500,000 cars for sale on Auto Trader are for diesel cars, when it was 70% just two years ago.

A simple truth to melt away confusion

There is now clear, trusted and independent information available to help car buyers see through the smog and make the right choice for their needs. The AIR Index is a traffic-light colour-coded rating of urban NOx emissions from A (the best) to E (the worst).  Launched in February 2019 it provides the results of on-road emissions tests in a simple and easily accessible format, providing confidence to both the seller and buyer about the actual emissions of each car.  

Sell the GLC – make the most of its B

A search of the AIR Index for the Mercedes GLC in the showroom shows that it is rated ‘B’. This means it has moderate levels of NOx emissions and is likely to be well within the limits of any city access policies and can be marketed accordingly. Why not make this clear to the buyer who can use this information to make an informed decision about suitability of the car and its potential future value, knowing it is a clean vehicle fitted with effective technology to reduce urban emissions.   

The AIR Index is available now to help consumers make the right choice for their needs and the right decision for air quality in our towns and cities. Whether the selection is petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric it can now be based on facts and these can enable you to sell clean cars, profitably and improve urban air quality for everyone.   

Win-win-win

  • Look-up the AIR Index rating at www.airindex.com for each car and compare vehicles.
  • Point of sale materials are available enabling you to show the AIR Index rating on silent salesmen next to the vehicle to explain the emissions performance for each vehicle.
  • A brochure explaining the AIR Index is available to provide explanation and information on the testing process and how it helps to inform effective decision making.
  • Individual certificates are available for each car rated in the AIR Index, confirming the result which can be kept with the book pack in the vehicle.

Massimo Fedeli, former Deputy Chairman of Fiat UK is the Co-founder of Allow Independent Road-testing (AIR), the not for profit company created to find practical solutions to the problem of urban air quality. AIR’s scientific advisory committee of leading air quality and vehicle emissions experts includes Dan Carder who led the team which uncovered Dieselgate.

The AIR Index Launch Highlights

A short film from the AIR Index launch in London on 28 February 2019

We launched the AIR Index to help everyone make informed choices about the cars they buy with clear, colour-coded ratings of the actual NOx emissions from A (the best) to E (the worst). The fact is that most of us are confused as to which cars are clean and which are dirty, and with no obvious way to tell one from another it’s easy to assume, for example, that a large SUV produces more NOx than a much smaller supermini. But that’s not necessarily the case and the wrong car choice makes a big difference to the quality of the air in towns and cities.

Until now it’s not been easy to make the right choice. When we asked people to rank the actual emissions of six cars at our launch event, we were shocked that no-one, including journalists and policy makers, rated the cars correctly.

Check your own car at www.airindex.com and join us on our mission to improve urban air quality NOW.

ULEZ: A step in the right direction but will still let ‘dirty diesels’ into the capital, says AIR

Press release from AIR on the launch of London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ)

  • Allow Independent Road-testing (AlR), the publishers of the AIR Index, the independent, standardised on-road emissions rating system, welcomes London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ)
  • However, AIR’s own testing has found that the Euro emissions standards bear little resemblance to what comes out of a car’s tailpipe in urban driving
  • There is huge variation in Euro 6 diesels, and although the latest are very clean there are still millions of dirty diesels on European roads that can emit in excess of Euro standards for urban NOX, yet still gain free access to ULEZ
  • The AIR Index is calling on policy makers in London and across Europe to make clean air zones more effective by tackling the issue of dirty Euro 6s – using ratings such as the AIR Index– to bring air quality into legal compliance as soon as possible
  • To learn more about the AIR Index and see a rating for your vehicle go to
    www.airindex.com

8 April 2019 – Today’s launch of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in London is an impressive and welcome step on the road to cleaning up urban air quality but will not stop ‘dirty diesels’ from entering the capital despite controlling access based on emissions.

London’s policy has ambitious scope, is complemented by action on other vehicles such as buses and trucks, and avoids outright bans by using a charging mechanism to create an efficient mechanism to abate nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.

Allow Independent Road-testing (AIR), the publishers of the AIR Index, the world’s only fully independent, standardised on-road emissions rating system, which gives cars a rating based on their actual urban NOx emissions, has already warned that using Euro emissions standards are a poor proxy for urban emissions, as many vehicles emit way in excess of accepted limits.    

Under the ULEZ scheme, penalty-free access to the centre of London will only be granted to petrol cars with a minimum Euro 4 standard while diesels must comply with the Euro 6 standard. These apparently different limits are in fact logical as they both equate to 80 mg/km of NOx.  But tests conducted for AIR and rated in the AIR Index show that many Euro 6 diesels will legitimately still be producing many times the officially published NOx limit, with free access to ULEZ.

The Euro standards are the officially accepted levels of emissions recorded during tests conducted mainly by car makers themselves, on their own products and until recently entirely in laboratory conditions. However, emissions recorded during on-road driving in urban conditions, including stop-start in traffic, bear little resemblance to the emissions recorded during laboratory tests where vehicles can be optimised to achieve specific results.

When a 2017 Renault Clio 1.5 litre dCi diesel was tested and rated in the AIR Index, it emerged that the supermini emitted 20 times more NOx in urban driving than a 2018 Land Rover Discovery 3.0 litre TD6 diesel, yet both fall under the category of ‘Euro 6’. What’s more, some Euro 6 diesels produce more urban NOx than earlier, cleaner Euro 5 vehicles. The results of variations between Euro 6 vehicles was presented at the launch of the AIR Index in February 2019.

“Why is there such variation? Following Dieselgate, Euro 6 was tightened up, but rather than issue a new Euro 7 standard, Euro 6 has continued to be used but with suffixes. It now (confusingly) straddles a wide spread of permitted emissions,” explained AIR Index Co-Founder, Nick Molden.

“Whilst the latest phase of the Euro 6 standard – in this case 6d which includes on-road testing – does set low levels of urban NOx emissions, millions of cars with a pre-Euro 6d standard have been sold across Europe and some are still on sale today.  All these have unlimited ULEZ access since they fall within the overall Euro 6 stage.

“The fundamental issue we have with ULEZ access being based upon Euro standards alone, is that is not an efficient or fair way to address the problem of urban NOx emissions from vehicles, since over-emitting newer Euro 6 cars will be allowed in, yet older lower-emitting Euro 5 cars will attract penalty fines.”

The AIR Index rates vehicles tested in urban conditions to the same standardised methodology providing comparable NOx emissions levels that more accurately reflect the contribution to urban air quality than existing tests performed in a laboratory.

It has been created to inform and empower car buyers and city policy makers with the real facts about vehicle emissions when making choices about car purchase and usage. A simple A-E colour-coded rating, shows the difference between clean and dirty vehicles based on how much NOx comes out of a car’s tailpipe in urban driving.

“We believe that ULEZ should be based on a better source of data.  Without a better source, the positive benefits will be seen more slowly, and the number of car-owners affected will be greater than necessary. It would immediately be more effective if used in conjunction with the ratings provided through the AIR Index,” commented Operations Director and Co-Founder of the AIR Index, Massimo Fedeli. “This would enable access to only the cleanest vehicles and limit the over-emitting vehicles from adding further to poor urban air quality. Specifically, a C-rated Euro 5 diesel could be let in, but an E-rated Euro 6 should not be.”

At the launch of London’s ULEZ, AIR is calling on policy makers across Europe to look at the most effective way to use actual vehicle emissions, not just laboratory standards, as the basis for policies which will bring cleaner air, more quickly to everyone.

“Even at the most optimistic predictions, the current rate of adoption of zero emission vehicles is not happening quickly enough to help us, our friends and families, colleagues and citizens who need immediate respite from urban air pollution,” continued Massimo Fedeli. “To make rapid progress, we need to make best use of the cleanest internal combustion engine technology available today and deliver a real improvement in air quality immediately. There can be no excuse for failing to use the most effective ways available to us now, to improve urban air quality for everyone.”

ENDS

Media contacts

Email   PressOfficer@allowAIR.org

Call      +44 (0) 7815 863 968

About the AIR Index

Cars rated for the AIR Index are tested according to the CWA 17379 standardised methodology which ensures that the results are independent, comparable and can be used as the basis for a legal framework for vehicle policies.

The testing is carried out on at least two cars, sourced independently from vehicle manufacturers with portable emissions testing units (PEMS) recording actual on-road driving in towns and cities.  For a result to be considered acceptable for rating in the AIR Index there must be at least five, 10 km trips completed during three separate journeys on at least two matching vehicles in line with the CEN standard. 

The results of the tests provide the basis to rate the vehicle according to the A-E, colour-coded scale.

The AIR Index website includes more than 200 results of the first tests conducted with ratings A-E, but also provides a facility to check other vehicles on the road to see if they would be allowed access (or not) to the 14 German cities which have set a NOx limit of 270 mg/km under the Federal Emissions Control Act.

Other cities across Europe are considering a similar threshold to control access and allow only the cleanest cars to enter. Car buyers should consider carefully the implication for a vehicle’s residual value, and their own mobility requirements, if it is unable to enter a town or city where emissions are controlled.

About AIR

AIR (Allow Independent Road-testing) is an independent alliance of public and private organisations, which promotes the voluntary uptake of independent on-road emissions testing.

The alliance’s key objective is to contribute to delivering a cost-effective and timely reduction in harmful vehicle emissions in urban areas, while ensuring the lowest CO2 emissions from the global vehicle fleet.

AIR seeks to empower citizens, industry and public authorities to take informed decisions on their mobility practices and policies by promoting full transparency on vehicle emission levels.

Scientific Advisory Committee

The development of the AIR Index has been led by the world’s leading academics in the fields of emissions and air quality and they make up AIR’s Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC).

  • Professor Helen ApSimon, Professor of Air Pollution Studies, Imperial College London.
  • Dr Adam Boies, Reader in the Energy Division, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge.
  • Dan Carder, Director for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions, West Virginia University.
  • Dr Claire Holman, Chair, Institute of Air Quality Management.
  • Dr Guido Lanzani, Head of Air Quality Unit, Regional Environmental Agency, Lombardy Region.
  • Dr Norbert Ligterink, Senior Research Scientist, TNO.
  • Martin Lutz, Head of Sector Air Quality Management, Berlin Senate Department for Environment, Transport and Climate Protection.
  • Dr Xavier Querol, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish Council for Scientific Research.
  • Dr Marc Stettler, Lecturer in Transport and the Environment, Centre for Transport Studies, Imperial College London.
  • Dr Martin Williams, Professor of Air Quality Research, Kings College London.

AIR’s full mission statement can be found here.

Notes on European Air Quality

The European Environment Agency provides independent information on the environment for those involved in developing, adopting, implementing and evaluating environmental policy and the general public. In its latest report, published in April 2018, updated in November 2018, the European Environment Agency stated that for particles and nitrogen dioxide, because of the widespread exceedance levels in urban areas, it is unlikely that the air quality standards for these pollutants will be met by 2020 across the EU.

1 see https://www.eea.europa.eu/airs/2018/environment-and-health/outdoor-air-quality-urban-areas  

Background to the AIR Index testing process

Emissions Analytics (EA), founded by Nick Molden (Co-founder of AIR), was a pioneer in methodologies to test on-road emissions using Portable Emissions Systems (PEMS) equipment. The experience and insight gained from more than 2,000 tests conducted by EA informed the development of the CWA 17379 protocol on which the AIR Index rating is based.

Emissions Analytics has licensed the use of its data including the EQUA Index within the AIR Index database, enabling insight for car buyers and policy makers as to whether vehicles are allowed access (or not) to enter cities which have set a NOx limit of 270 mg/km.

Further information about Allow Independent Road-testing (AIR) can be found at www.allowair.org 

Download

ULEZ: A step in the right direction but will still let ‘dirty diesels’ into the capital, says AIR below:

Download press release

It’s time to clean up city air quality – properly

A measured welcome for the launch of London’s ULEZ with a call for more progress, more quickly.

By Massimo Fedeli and Nick Molden, Co-Founders of AIR

2 April 2019: It is both shocking and outrageous that in 2019 we are still breathing poor quality air in towns and cities which is linked to the equivalent of over 40,000 deaths per year in the UK alone. This is despite clear evidence of the problem, its causes and several European directives to fix it. ClientEarth, the environmental law charity has spent more than ten years pursuing national and local governments through the courts, forcing them to confront their responsibilities and raising awareness of the slow pace of change. During this ‘lost decade’ of air pollution, urban NOx emissions have continued to cause health problems for us all in our daily lives.

Vehicle related emissions are a significant contributor to the problem and whilst Europe’s 2050 climate-neutral strategy offers a clear pathway to address the key issue, we can’t wait to fix today’s poor urban air quality. The rate of adoption of zero emission vehicles, even at the most optimistic predictions, will not happen quickly enough to help us, our friends and families, colleagues and citizens who need immediate respite from urban air pollution.

Quite bluntly, it is beyond credibility for both authorities and industry to shield themselves from criticism of inaction behind future technological solutions which are years away from adoption at scale, in the full knowledge that millions will suffer poor health and reduced lifespan in the intervening period. To make rapid progress, we need to make best use of the cleanest internal combustion engine technology available today and deliver a real improvement in air quality immediately. There can be no excuse for failing to use the most effective ways available to us now, to improve urban air quality for everyone.

The launch of the Ultra Low Emission Zone in London on 8 April 2019 is a significant step to reduce urban emissions by controlling access to vehicles based on their emissions. For cars, this means penalty-free access only for petrol engines with a minimum Euro 4 standard rating, and diesel engines with at least a Euro 6 standard rating. At first glance this may appear to be a bold solution by a city which has been amongst the most active and progressive to address the problem of urban NOx emissions caused by the failure of regional and national regulation. But, it arrives almost 10 years late as we have highlighted already, and in reality it could be so much better, and do so much more to help Londoners breathe more easily.

So, what are the pros and cons of the ULEZ?

The fundamental issue for any urban access control policy is the need for a robust framework to base it upon. ULEZ uses the Euro standards as a proxy for urban emissions of the vehicles in the zone, and this is the start of the problem.

The Euro standards are the officially accepted levels of emissions recorded during tests conducted mainly by car makers themselves, on their own products and until recently in laboratory conditions. We now know that emissions recorded during on-road driving in urban conditions including stop-start in traffic, bear little resemblance to the emissions recorded during laboratory tests where vehicles can be optimised to achieve specific results.

Tests conducted using Portable Emissions Measuring Systems (PEMS) equipment by Emissions Analytics since 2011 have shown variances up to 21 times the homologated limit for some vehicles. The issue achieved global attention when Dan Carder, Director of the Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions at the West Virginia University led the team which published the earliest evidence that Volkswagen was cheating on US emissions tests uncovering the scandal which became known as Dieselgate.

The fallout from Diesegate highlighted that while all diesel cars sold in the EU did meet the in-laboratory tests, they were emitting massive amounts of NOx when driven on our roads. This led to a number of changes to tighten up the Euro 6 standard, but rather than issue a new Euro 7 standard at the time, the existing Euro 6 standard continued to be used but with suffixes and now (confusingly) straddles a wide spread of permitted emissions.

PEMS tests conducted for us show that a Euro 6 vehicle is legitimately producing over 6  times the officially published NOx limit, with free access to ULEZ, and in many cases producing more urban NOx than an earlier, cleaner Euro 5 vehicle. The results of variations between Euro 6 vehicles, one emitting 20 times more than another, were presented at the launch of the AIR Index in February 2019.

Whilst the latest Euro standard – in this case 6d which includes on-road testing – does set low levels of urban NOx emissions, millions of cars with a pre-Euro 6d standard have been sold across Europe and have potentially unlimited ULEZ access since they fall within the wide Euro 6 range.

The fundamental issue we have with ULEZ access being based upon Euro standards alone, is that is not an efficient or fair way to address the problem of urban NOx emissions from vehicles, since over-emitting newer Euro 6 cars will be allowed in, yet older lower-emitting Euro 5 cars will attract penalty fines. We believe that ULEZ should be based on a better source of data.  Without a better source, the positive benefits will be seen more slowly, and the number of car-owners affected will be greater than necessary.

ULEZ + actual emissions is the pragmatic solution      

In 2017 we created the Allow Independent Road-testing (AIR) alliance to reduce the harmful effects of vehicle emissions on air quality. The scientists, regulatory experts and organisations within AIR are committed to addressing pollutant emissions from vehicles, and we have created the AIR Index, an independent, trusted, on-road vehicle emissions ratings for cars.

The AIR Index rating categorises vehicles in bands, based upon NOx emissions data measured during on-road tests. Testing each vehicle in urban conditions to the same test provides comparable NOx emissions levels that more accurately reflect the contribution to urban air quality than existing tests performed in a laboratory.

AIR ensures that the AIR Index is only obtained from tests that follow the latest European Workshop Agreement CWA 17379. This was developed in public, by scientists and stakeholders. The methodology ensures that the test procedure is consistently applied to different vehicles so that the data collected from different tests provides comparable emissions data.

The AIR Index is a global first. It is an international, independent and standardised rating system that reveals accurately how much pollution a vehicle produces when it is used in towns and cities.

It has been created to inform and empower car buyers and city policy makers with the real facts about vehicle emissions when making choices about car purchase and usage. A simple A-E colour-coded rating, shows the difference between clean and dirty vehicles based on how much NOx comes out of a car’s tailpipe in urban driving.

We recognise that ULEZ in London has been created in good faith using Euro standards, but it could be (and should be) more effective if used in conjunction with the ratings provided through the AIR Index. This would enable access to only the cleanest vehicles and limit the over-emitting vehicles from adding further to poor urban air quality. Specifically, a B-rated Euro 5 diesel should be let in, but an E-rated Euro 6 should not be.

At the launch of London’s ULEZ we are calling on policy makers across Europe to look at the most effective way to use actual vehicle emissions, not just laboratory standards, as the basis for policies which will bring cleaner air, more quickly to everyone.

Join us and make a difference to the air we all breathe

The AIR alliance focuses on four key areas of activity:

Insight: Deepening research and understanding about vehicle emissions, testing and applications to reducing harmful impacts.

Coalition: Encouraging collaboration among industry players, public authorities and relevant stakeholders on key activities to improve air quality.

Campaigning: Supporting the development and improvement of mobility infrastructure to have a positive impact on air quality.

Empowerment: Promoting the link between vehicle choices and air quality with actionable information.

Join us as a Supporter

There are no costs or fees and we’ll keep you updated with the latest news about AIR and the AIR Index. Sign up with your name, email and country and that’s it. We’d love you to share information about AIR with your friends and colleagues to spread the word and help us raise awareness about solutions to this vital issue; the air we breathe.

Join us as a Member

There are several levels of membership and members are typically organisations, rather than individuals. Members provide funding which enables us to retain independence in our programmes including testing and research. If you’re part of a company, academic institution, NGO, public sector  or other organisation please sign up with your name, email, organisation, title and country and we’ll get in touch and find the best way to work with you.

Building confidence to help every customer make the right fuel choice

By Massimo Fedeli
First published in Auto Retail Profit, April 2019

Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.’ Seth Godin’s words could be the main agenda item for every sales meeting this year because they sum up both the problem and the solution when selling cars in the current market.

The right product for your customer depends upon their requirements and for many that will be a clean diesel. But they’re uncertain about diesel and maybe you’re nervous about pushing the manufacturer’s environmental claims too far and risking the sale. The customer needs your clear and trusted advice to help them choose the most appropriate car, which will also be the right car to improve air quality for us all. You need to be confident that the product is clean – and you can be.   

Trusted, independent information

In February 2019, the AIR Index was launched. It is an independent emissions rating for cars from A (the best) to E (the worst) with a traffic-light colour coding of the on-road urban NOx emissions results. The first AIR Index ratings have exposed the urban myth that ‘big diesel SUV is bad’. The Land Rover Discovery 3.0 litre diesel is rated ‘A’ with on-road NOx emissions less than half of the official limit, but a Renault Clio 1.5 diesel is rated ‘E’ with on-road NOx emissions more than eight (8) times the official limit.  

Helping you find the right car for each customer

The clear, simple and trusted information from the AIR Index is now available to help consumers make the right choice for their needs and the right decision for air quality in our towns and cities. Whether that is petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric it can now be made with facts rather than confused urban myths.   

Showroom solutions

  • Look-up the AIR Index rating at www.airindex.com for each car and compare vehicles.
  • Point of sale materials are available enabling you to show the AIR Index rating on silent salesmen next to the vehicle to explain the emissions performance for each vehicle.
  • A brochure explaining the AIR Index is available to provide explanation and information on the testing process and how it helps to inform effective decision making.
  • Individual certificates are available for each car rated in the AIR Index, confirming the result which can be kept with the book pack in the vehicle.

Confidence through transparency

Traffic light ratings provide clarity for customers buying a range of consumer goods and now the AIR Index offers the same at-a-glance information about vehicle emissions to enable clear and confident buying decisions. The AIR Index can help you find the right products for your customers once again.

Massimo Fedeli, former Deputy Chairman of Fiat UK is the Co-founder of Allow Independent Road-testing (AIR), the not for profit company created to find practical solutions to the problem of urban air quality. AIR’s scientific advisory committee of leading air quality and vehicle emissions experts includes Dan Carder who led the team which uncovered Dieselgate.

Rebuilding customer confidence after Dieselgate

By Massimo Fedeli
First published in Auto Retail Bulletin, March 2019

‘I’d really like a (insert car model), but we can’t buy a diesel as a family car because its emissions are bad for us and it’ll drop in value like a stone’. You hear this in the showroom and you know there isn’t an easy response. They want to buy the comfortable, fuel-efficient car they’ve fallen for but now uncertainty seeps into their thinking and they are conflicted. They want you to tell them that it’s ok to buy the car, but the Dieselgate scandal has stripped away layers of trust which WLTP and RDE have failed to restore.

So what happens? Perhaps they defer purchase (not great for the environment) or buy a petrol (not a bad choice, but isn’t as fuel efficient and not necessarily the cleanest option). Now, do you really want to try and explain how new technology is actually clean, and start a scientific discussion about CO2 and NOx emissions and risk losing a sale?

Probably not, and that’s where we are today. Confused customers, and retailers unable to reassure them because of the complicated truth required to explain it. And confusion is expensive. Inchcape put the cost of emissions uncertainty at £198 million in lost revenue during 2018. Dieselgate has cost Volkswagen more than £30 billion – so far.

The solution to restore customer confidence will not come from within the motor industry or from its regulators. The confusing acronyms for the various iterations of Euro standards show that.

We, (the industry, consumers, policy makers) need independent, trusted and easily understood information when making decisions about vehicle choices. This means testing and reporting on multiple models of each car, sourced independently from car makers with results published and accessible online and point of sale. It works for consumer goods such as TVs, washing machines and fridges and can work exactly the same for cars.

In February 2019, the AIR Index was launched. It is an independent emissions rating for cars from A (the best) to E (the worst) with a traffic-light colour coding of the on-road urban NOx emissions results. The first AIR Index ratings have exposed the urban myth that ‘big diesel SUV is bad’. The Euro 6 Land Rover Discovery 3.0 litre diesel is rated ‘A’ with on-road NOx emissions less than half of the official limit, whilst a Euro 6 Renault Clio 1.5 diesel is rated ‘E’ with on-road NOx emissions more than eight (8) times the official limit.

The clear, simple and trusted information from the AIR Index is now available to help consumers make the right choice for air quality in our towns and cities. Whether that choice is petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric it can now be made with facts rather than confused urban myths.    

Massimo Fedeli, former Deputy Chairman of Fiat UK is the Co-founder of Allow Independent Road-testing (AIR), the not for profit company created to find practical solutions to the problem of urban air quality. AIR’s scientific advisory committee of leading air quality and vehicle emissions experts includes Dan Carder who led the team which uncovered Dieselgate.

Jaguar Land Rover is first car maker to put new cars to the test with the AIR Index 7 Mar 2019

Independent, on-road emissions ratings provide clarity for consumers when buying a car

  • At-a-glance ratings show the on-road emissions of cars from the Jaguar Land Rover range.
  • The AIR Index ratings show the Jaguar Land Rover diesel models tested are all rated A.
  • Independent emissions testing provides car buyers with the facts to make informed vehicle choices.
  • More information available at the AIR Index website www.airindex.com

00h01 Thursday 7 March 2019: Jaguar Land Rover has today become the first car maker to submit new cars from its Jaguar and Land Rover ranges for independent on-road emissions testing and rating for inclusion in the AIR Index, with some startling results.

The AIR Index was created to inform and empower car buyers and city policy makers with the real facts about vehicle emissions when making choices about car purchase and usage. A simple A-to-E colour-coded rating shows the difference between clean and dirty vehicles

The AIR Index ratings published today reveal that the new diesel engines in the Jaguar and Land Rover cars tested for AIR (Allow Independent Road-testing), are some of the cleanest models for NOx emissions on sale in Europe. Every car rated on the AIR Index is based on at least two independently sourced cars, over three separate tests, including at least five, 10km trips conducted on paved roads, using on-board Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) testing equipment.

All of the vehicles achieved an A rating in the tests, the cleanest possible rating. Here is a model-by-model breakdown of Jaguar Land Rover’s AIR Index ratings:

Massimo Fedeli, Co-founder and Operations Director, AIR said: “The AIR Index provides easy to understand, at-a-glance information on actual vehicle emissions, from independent testing to help consumers compare vehicles when making buying decisions. Jaguar Land Rover asked us to put a range of their new diesel cars to the test, and the evidence shows that their latest engines are extremely clean, with all of the four models tested achieving the AIR Index A rating, which means that they produce the lowest levels of NOx emissions in urban driving.

“One of the key things to observe from this set of AIR Index ratings is that perceptions of the emissions produced by particular vehicle types, such as SUVs, can be very misleading. In fact, Jaguar’s E-PACE and Land Rover’s Range Rover Evoque are amongst the cleanest cars on sale of any type, not just vehicles within the SUV segment. The perfect example is the Land Rover Discovery, which produced NOx emissions 20 times lower than a diesel Renault Clio supermini.

“The AIR Index was created to provide clarity through the publication of trusted, easily accessible and independent information, essential for car buyers and policy makers to use when making important vehicle choices that can rapidly improve urban air quality.

Rawdon Glover, Jaguar Land Rover UK Managing Director, said: “We have been vocal about the benefits of diesel technology in recent years and I am delighted to see simple, clear and accurate consumer information about urban vehicle emissions published and available with the AIR Index.

“The performance of our vehicles on the AIR Index reflects Jaguar Land Rover’s investment in class-leading technology and its hard-working, talented engineers. There are some stand-out results here with the superb performance of our new Jaguar SUVs worthy of specific praise, disproving the notion that all diesel SUVs are ‘dirty’.

“These tests clarify that not all diesels are equal, and not even all Euro 6-approved diesels are equal. As the tests have shown, a diesel SUV can be extremely clean.

“The modern diesel engine certainly has a place in the current automotive landscape, and I’m confident that the AIR Index will provide the trusted, independent information essential to inform car buyers as they consider their next vehicle.”

Download the Jaguar land rover is first car maker to put new cars to the test with the air index 07.03.19 below:

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Jaguar Land Rover es el primer fabricante de automóviles que pone a prueba los coches nuevos con el AIR Index – ES

Las clasificaciones independientes de las emisiones en carretera proporcionan claridad a los consumidores a la hora de adquirir un vehículo

  • Se trata de clasificaciones fáciles de comprender que muestran las emisiones en carretera de los vehículos de la gama Jaguar Land Rover.
  • Las clasificaciones AIR Index muestran que todos los modelos diésel Jaguar Land Rover probados tienen una clasificación A.
  • La realización de pruebas independientes de las emisiones proporciona a los compradores datos para poder tomar decisiones informadas.
  • Más información disponible en la página web de AIR Index www.airindex.com

00h01 jueves 7 de marzo de 2019: Jaguar Land Rover se ha convertido hoy en el primer fabricante de automóviles en someter vehículos nuevos de sus gamas Jaguar y Land Rover a pruebas independientes de emisiones en carretera y para su clasificación en el AIR Index, con algunos resultados sorprendentes.

El AIR Index se creó para informar y capacitar a los compradores de vehículos y a los organismos legislativos urbanos poniendo a su alcance los hechos reales sobre las emisiones de los vehículos a la hora de tomar decisiones sobre la compra y el uso de un coche. Una sencilla clasificación A – E con código de colores muestra la diferencia entre vehículos limpios y sucios.

Las clasificaciones AIR Index publicadas hoy revelan que los nuevos motores diésel de los coches Jaguar y Land Rover probados para AIR (Allow Independent Road-testing) son algunos de los modelos más limpios para emisiones de NOx a la venta en Europa. Cada clasificación de un vehículo en el AIR Index se basa al menos en dos coches obtenidos de forma independiente, en tres pruebas diferentes, que incluyen al menos cinco desplazamiento de 10 km sobre carreteras asfaltadas, empleando un equipo de pruebas con sistemas portátiles de medición de emisiones (PEMS). 

Todos los vehículos consiguieron una clasificación A en las pruebas, la clasificación más limpia posible. Este es un desglose por modelos de las clasificaciones AIR Index de Jaguar Land Rover:

Massimo Fedeli, cofundador y director de Operaciones de AIR, afirmó: “El AIR Index proporciona información fácil de entender de un vistazo sobre emisiones de vehículos reales, a partir de pruebas independientes para ayudar a los consumidores a comparar vehículos a la hora de tomar la decisión de compra. Jaguar Land Rover nos pidió que probásemos una gama de sus nuevos vehículos diésel y las pruebas muestran que sus motores más recientes son extremadamente limpios.Los cuatro modelos que se probaron consiguieron la clasificación A del AIR Index, lo que significa que produjeron los niveles de emisiones de NOx más bajos durante la conducción en entornos urbanos.

“Uno de los puntos claves en los que debemos fijarnos a partir de este grupo de clasificaciones del AIR Index es que las percepciones de las emisiones producidas por determinados tipos de vehículos, como los SUV, pueden ser engañosas. De hecho, el E-PACE de Jaguar y el Range Rover Evoque de Land Rover se encuentran entre los vehículos más limpios de cualquier tipo a la venta, no solo entre el segmento de SUV. El ejemplo perfecto es el Land Rover Discovery, que produjo emisiones de NOx 20 veces más bajas que un segmento B Renault Clio diésel.

“El AIR Index se creó para proporcionar claridad mediante la publicación de información independiente, de confianza y de fácil acceso, esencial para que los compradores de automóviles y los organismos legislativos los utilicen a la hora de tomar decisiones importantes sobre vehículos que puedan mejorar la calidad del aire urbano rápidamente.”  

Rawdon Glover, director general para el Reino Unido de Jaguar Land Rover, afirmó: “Nos hemos manifestado sobre las ventajas de la tecnología diésel en los últimos años y estoy encantado de ver información sencilla, clara y precisa para los consumidores relativa a las emisiones de vehículos en entornos urbanos publicada y disponible con el AIR Index.

“El rendimiento de nuestros vehículos en el AIR Index refleja la inversión de Jaguar Land Rover en tecnología líder y en sus ingenieros trabajadores y talentosos. Nos encontramos con algunos resultados sobresalientes con el soberbio rendimiento de nuestros nuevos SUV Jaguar dignos de elogio, refutando la noción de que todos los SUV diésel son «sucios».

“Estas pruebas clarifican que no todos los diésel son iguales e incluso no todos los diésel con aprobación Euro 6 son iguales. Como las pruebas muestran, un SUV diésel puede ser extremadamente limpio.

“Ciertamente, el motor diésel moderno tiene un lugar en el panorama automotriz actual y estoy seguro de que el AIR Index proporcionará información independiente de confianza, esencial para informar a los compradores de automóviles y ayudarles a tomar su decisión a la hora de comprar su siguiente vehículo”.

FIN

Contacto para los medios de comunicación

Correo electrónico      PressOfficer@allowAIR.org

Teléfono          +44 (0) 7815 863 968

Acerca de AIR Index  www.AIRindex.com

Los coches evaluados para el AIR Index se someten a pruebas de acuerdo con la metodología estandarizada CWA 17379 que garantiza que los resultados sean independientes y comparables, y que se puedan utilizar como base para un marco legal de políticas de vehículos.

Las pruebas se realizan en al menos dos coches obtenidos de forma independiente de sus fabricantes con sistemas portátiles de medición de emisiones (PEMS) que graben la conducción en carretera en las ciudades.  Para que un resultado se considere aceptable para su clasificación en el AIR Index, debe ser al menos de cinco y se han debido completar viajes de 10 km durante tres días diferentes en al menos dos vehículos que se correspondan con la norma CEN. 

Los resultados de las pruebas proporcionan la base para valorar el vehículo de acuerdo a la escala un código de colores A-E.

La página web de AIR Index incluye más de 200 resultados de las primeras pruebas realizadas con clasificaciones A-E, pero también proporciona un servicio para comprobar otros vehículos en carretera y ver si se les concedería (o no) acceso a las 14 ciudades alemanas que tienen un límite de NOx de 270 mg/km al amparo de la Ley Federal de Control de Emisiones.

Otras ciudades de Europa están planteándose un umbral similar para controlar el acceso y permitir que solo entren en las ciudades los coches más limpios. Los compradores de coches deberían tener muy en cuenta la implicación que esto tiene para el valor residual de un vehículo, así como sus propios requisitos de movilidad, si no se le permite entrar en una ciudad en la que se controlen las emisiones.

Acerca de AIR

AIR (Allow Independent Road-testing) es una coalición independiente de organizaciones de carácter público y privado que promueve la realización voluntaria de pruebas independientes de emisiones en carretera.

El objetivo clave de la coalición es contribuir a lograr una reducción rentable y oportuna de emisiones nocivas de los vehículos en núcleos urbanos, a la vez que garantizar las emisiones de CO2 más bajas de la flota internacional de vehículos.

AIR trata de capacitar a ciudadanos, industria y autoridades públicas para tomar decisiones informadas sobre sus prácticas y políticas de movilidad promoviendo la total transparencia en los niveles de emisiones de los vehículos. Puede encontrar más información sobre AIR en www.allowair.org

Download Jaguar Land Rover es el primer fabricante de automóviles que pone a prueba los coches nuevos con el AIR Index 07.03.19 below:

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