Research shows diesels more polluting below 18C – Ridgeway – CPC Training

Pollution from many popular diesel cars is much worse when the temperature outside is below 18C, a new study suggests.

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Emissions Analytics, a testing company, told the BBC it has measured a significant rise in poisonous gas emissions from a wide range of models as the temperature drops.
The problem is apparently worst among the Euro 5 category of cars, which became mandatory back in 2011. Emissions Analytics tested 213 models supplied by 31 different manufacturers.

The results means that millions of vehicles could be driving around much more of the time with their pollution controls partly turned off. But it seems as though many cars are actually deliberately designed that way, and it is perfectly legal.

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The European rules allow manufacturers to cut back on pollution controls as long as it is to protect the cars engine.
On the whole, engineers seem to agree that hot and cold weather can actually do damage to some of the components. Having said that, a number of engineers suggest that car companies are taking advantage of the rule which allows them to switch things off, even in milder weather, because it improves the miles per gallon of the car.

CEO of Emissions Analytics, Nick Molden, released a statement which read: “I would say from the Euro 5 generation of cars, it’s very widespread, from our data. Below that 18 degrees [Celsius], many have higher emissions… the suspicion is, to give the car better fuel economy,”

“If we were talking about higher emissions below zero, that would be more understandable and there are reasons why the engine needs to be protected. But what we’ve got is this odd situation where the [temperature] threshold has been set far too high, and that is a surprise”.

Car manufacturers insist that it is to prevent the vehicles from breaking down.

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