The EU Parliament, Council and Commission have agreed new rules regarding type approval in the EU: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/12/20171211-typeapproval.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+greencarcongress%2FTrBK+(Green+Car+Congress)

 

Highlights are EU level authority to initiate recalls and apply fines, random auditing of national testing bodies, an obligation on manufacturers to submit the code from ECUs to the approval bodies as part of the type approval process.

 

A strong move in the right direction.

Since the UK will not be in the EU by the time of any implementation of new rules and regulations they should have time to implement stricter requirements of EU Type Approved Vehicles being imported for registering in the UK, and also legislation of the Manufacturers behaviour, dodgy testing in facilities used by manufacturers, and the UK Manufacturers exporting to the EU and RoW can maybe exceed the EU requirements. 

They will at least be able to match them, because they will have no choice but to.

 

Maybe the UK should adopt USA test standards & requirements for new vehicles being imported to the UK from EU Manufacturers.

Surely that is not beyond the wit of the UK Government and DfT / DVSA in 2 or 3 or 4 years with a transition period.

Edited 11 December, 20178 yr by AwaoffSki

It's important to note that these proposals do not relate to the type approval regulations themselves, but to how those regulations are to be policed and enforced. It's a subtle but significant distinction.

 

The proposed EU rules go beyond those of the US: particularly the requirement for manufacturers to submit source code for ECUs for inspection.

 

Outside of emissions, much of the US standards are behind EU, especially in lighting and occupant protection.

 

As you say the UK, whether inside the EU or not, is probably not going to have much choice but to adopt EU type approval rules, since that's the main market for UK manufactured cars. Looking the other way, if the UK decides to implement stricter type approval it is likely to see a reduced range from manufacturers as they will not be interested in the expense of type approvals for a large range of models/configurations for what is a relatively small market*. Ireland has seen this happening for years as we are a very small market with some unique requirements (especially RHD).

 

The UK's biggest loss if it leaves the EU is having reduced/no input to new type approval regulations while still having to adopt them if it wants to sell cars into the EU. Type approval organisations in the UK could also lose business since it's quite likely the EU wouldn't accept approvals from them any longer,

 

* Year to date figures for VAG brand sales in the UK total 497681 units, from a Europe-wide total of 3028319; 16.4 %. 

All brands: UK 2388144 vs EU 12348347; 19.3 %.
UK: https://www.smmt.co.uk/vehicle-data/car-registrations/

EU: http://files.simi.ie/statistics/2017/European Stats/20171116_PRPC_1710_FINAL.PDF

How the EU Commissioners  / Commission fail to police & enforce now is so pathetic that it will be a major change needed.

 

Main market maybe for UK manufacturers like Nissan / Toyota / Honda being the EU, but with that EU approval, Bentley, JLR, Morgan and others are exporting world wide. Premium vehicles with higher profits yet low volumes, not only a few hundred Euro profit on each vehicle manufactured.

For the EU / UK manufacturers the Right hand drive market is much more than the UK or Ireland, Australia and other countries accept that the vehicles are EU Type Approved.

 

What happens after BREXIT might be that the UK Government makes sure that EU Commission Policing and enforcing is actually taking place as set out, 

and there is less pith taking from German, French & Italian Manufacturers with the governments conspiring.

 

PS 

VAG Sales into the UK and first registrations is a kidology as with other manufacturers, 

vehicles owned by the Manufacturers Finance arm, and sold to them, and then sold as Used Cars.

Pyramid financing and lending and dodgy dealings, and brexit might sort out what might well be money laundering and irresponsible lending.

Edited 12 December, 20178 yr by AwaoffSki

11 minutes ago, AwaoffSki said:

How the EU Commissioners  / Commission fail to police & enforce now is so pathetic that it will be a major change needed.

 

 

That's the part that they are now changing. The situation up to now has been that the EU stood back from the process and allowed national bodies to issue type approvals that were then accepted EU wide. They are now moving to have greater EU oversight of the process, with stricter in-service testing and auditing of national bodies, and tighter regulations on how the approval process is carried out. If you read the article, you will see that it is in fact the major change you say is needed.

 

14 minutes ago, AwaoffSki said:

PS 

VAG Sales into the UK and first registrations is a kidology as with other manufacturers, 

vehicles owned by the Manufacturers Finance arm, and sold to them, and then sold as Used Cars.

Pyramid financing and lending and dodgy dealings, and brexit might sort out what might well be money laundering and irresponsible lending.

 

That still doesn't change the fact that that number of vehicles entered the fleet, which is the relevant part when it comes to discussing type approval in this context.

There's an element of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted; would any manufacturer in the future really take the pith as vigorously as VW did? Who knows, I guess.

Good to make it easier to detect and punish such deeds; it should reduce the probability of such things being perpetrated.

 

I know it goes beyond direct relevance to dieselgate, but there's little chance that it isn't a major reason this change is happening.

Edited 12 December, 20178 yr by Wino

Well time will tell.  We all know how good the EU is introducing changes.

 

No it does not change the numbers entering the fleet, or the car market, just the taxes the treasury get, and the fraudulent way the Used Market Prices are manipulated.

Green Car Congress_ Millbrook designated RDE testing provider for type approval.mhtml

 

Applicable to Member States from 2020, so the UK will not be a member state but will no doubt be signing to what ever agreements 

the EU are imposing by then.

The UK leaving the EU and not leaving Europe & being such a near neighbour.

Green Car Congress_ European Parliament, Council and Commission reach agreement on vehicle type-approval; EU oversight.mhtml

Edited 12 December, 20178 yr by AwaoffSki

Given the powers that the EU already had at the time https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-making-process/applying-eu-law/infringement-procedure_en yet very little has been done. I wouldn't hold my breath for any dramatic change you only need look at the food industry which supposed to have fail safes in place to stop illegal or unfit meat entering the EU food supply after the horse meat scandal, which followed on from the chicken washing scandal and all proceeded the Brazil meat scandal which allowed rotten meat to entered our food supply for nearly a year with full EU approval. 

 

Even when they were aware of the cheat devices they did nothing until the Americans made it public https://www.ft.com/content/d0d7ba40-6394-11e5-9846-de406ccb37f2

 

Edited 12 December, 20178 yr by CWARD

VW are still not being penalised or prosecuted by the EU Commission for the defeat devices VW Group say were not illegal but which they are removing voluntarily.

 

Then VW are paying the UK some money for testing to be carried out and the CEO say that 'The Fix; is not that cause of issues that he says are in only 2% of UK TDI's that have had the Defeat Device erased and new engine management applied.

 

 

On 12/12/2017 at 12:38, Wino said:

There's an element of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted; would any manufacturer in the future really take the pith as vigorously as VW did? Who knows, I guess.

Good to make it easier to detect and punish such deeds; it should reduce the probability of such things being perpetrated.

 

https://www.thelocal.de/20180508/audi-halts-a6-production-over-new-emissions-cheating-report

Bleedin' Germans.

I read Merc had allegedly done similar with some of theirs (E350d rings a bell) and gave the same reason of to stop it running out.

 

I believe Merc stopped selling it also while they made adjustments.

 

Maybe all tests should be carried out with only 1L (circa 1000miles) of AdBlue in the tank.

 

if true though, talk about brass balls and arrogance.

Edited 13 June, 20187 yr by cheezemonkhai