Due to the level of harmful pollution that vehicle emissions can emit, the EU has set up a common legal framework to regulate the approval of cars, vans trucks, buses and coaches that are manufactured in the EU. As such, car manufacturers must meet the EU emissions standards in order to comply with the regulations. 

The regulation is called the Euro 5 and 6 Regulation 715/2007/EC. It specifies the emission limits for important toxic pollutants including nitrogen oxides (NOx). The current limit for NOx emissions for new diesel passenger cars and vans sold in the EU is 80 mg/km. In addition, an on-road emission test called the Real Driving Emissions test (RDE) is also required. More recently, it has been agreed that all new cars and vans sold in the EU will be required to have zero emissions by 2035.

What Are NOx Emissions?

NOx stands for Nitrogen oxides which are a group of gases that come from the burning of fossil fuels produced by cars and road traffic. The gases then disperse into the air and cause pollution which damages the environment and also human health triggering inflammation and asthma attacks. 

What Is a Real Driving Emissions Test?

Real Driving Emissions tests assess the level of NOx that is emitted from a car when it is driving on the road. This works by installing specialised equipment onto the car to make sure that any pollutants such as NOx do not exceed the limit according to the EU regulations. As part of the test, the car is driven on a real road and is exposed to different conditions such as low and high altitudes, hill driving, urban roads, motorways, and rural roads to make sure that it meets requirements. The RDE is used alongside the laboratory tests that must be carried out to check the levels of NOx.

Will the RDE Stop the Risk of Cheating?

Between 2007 and 2020 it was found that some leading car manufacturers such as Mercedes, Vauxhall, Renault, and Peugeot to name a few used a cheat device or illegal “defeat devices” in diesel cars to make the vehicle appear as though it had reduced NOx emissions and therefore satisfied the EU emissions standards. As a result, the cars were being mis-sold to people who thought that they were buying environmentally friendly vehicles. This scandal is known as the Emissions Scandal or Dieselgate. 

According to the EU, the RDE testing which is conducted alongside the laboratory tests that check for harmful pollutants will lower the risk of cheating with a defeat device because the cars will be tested in both a laboratory and under real-world driving conditions. This two-stage process will reduce the chances that manufacturers will be able to get around the rules. In addition, diesel car owners are able to claim compensation under the Dieselgate scandal against certain car manufacturers for financial loss after being sold or leased vehicles that they believed met the EU regulations, but in fact, did not.