Independent Panel to Act as Fuel-Economy Watchdog

WINCHESTER, U.K. – Hard on the heels of the auto industry’s latest admission by Mitsubishi that it falsified fuel-economy figures, a consumer index has been launched allowing public access to independent real-world pollution testing results of new cars.

Emissions Analytics, the U.K.’s independent provider of emissions-measurement data, has opened up its findings to ordinary car customers on nitrogen oxides (NO_x) emissions by more than 1,000 new passenger vehicles it has tested over the past five years.

Its newly launched EQUA Air Quality Index rating scheme claims to help car buyers while “providing the automotive industry with a level playing field.”

The index allows potential buyers to download a NO_x report of a list of new cars revealing test results from vehicles driven on open public roads.

Emissions Analytics claims the EQUA Index also allows automakers to demonstrate their vehicles’ clean credentials and provide data to policymakers on progress in the drive to improve air quality.

“There’s a great deal of confusion among car buyers on the subject of pollutant emissions, but we’re able to deliver impartial and precise information to help them buy better,” says Nick Molden, CEO and founder of Emissions Analytics. “We’re also looking forward to working with the industry as a whole to highlight the best vehicles available.”

He claims real-world emissions can be more than four times higher than official NO_x figures.

An advisory board of leading academic and industry experts has been assembled to ensure the program is run efficiently. Included are individuals from Imperial College London, King’s College London, the International Council on Clean Transportation and the University of Cambridge.

“This work is a welcome attempt to decipher a very complex set of air-quality regulations and test results, and present them to motorists wanting to buy a clean car,” adds Steve Gooding, director-RAC Foundation, the U.K.’s motorists’ organization. “It should also be required reading for manufacturers as it demonstrates that diesel cars can score well in real-world driving conditions.

“However, the star performers in the diesel category are few in number, and these figures send out a strong message to several automakers that they need to up their game.”

The EQUA Air Quality Index for the European Union claims to assess cars’ emissions levels using objective performance criteria, recognizing the best performers by awarding ratings.

This program will be separate from, and independent of, automakers’ certification tests. The results will be publicly available, with the aim of influencing policy development and implementation, allowing consumers to make informed purchase decisions and demonstrating improvements the industry is making to improve air quality.