UK Vehicle Testing To Be Scrutinised By MPs

Parliament is to decide whether UK vehicle testing is "fit for purpose" as the dated process is called into question.

The announcement comes in the wake of the Volkswagen (Other OTC: VLKAF - news) emissions scandal which is thought to have affected nearly 1.2 million UK cars.

The VW controversy is centred on the "defeat devices" it used to fool emissions tests into believing the cars being tested met environmental standards.

The Commons Transport Select Committee said it would investigate whether the current testing arrangements were appropriate, especially given how results vary between those realised in the real world and those observed in a test environment.

The software installed in the VW cars was able to detect whether or not the car was in a test environment prompting the vehicle to operate accordingly and thereby appearing to meet the environmental standards.

In September, when the scandal first surfaced, Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the UK's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said: "The industry acknowledges that the current test method is outdated and is seeking agreement from the European Commission for a new emissions test that embraces new testing technologies and is more representative of on-road conditions."

The UK’s car emissions tests have been in existence for more than 20 years.

Louise Ellman, chair of the Transport Select Committee, said: "The Volkswagen scandal has raised serious concerns about whether vehicle type approval testing is fit for purpose.

"We heard evidence in October that the gap between emissions detected in test conditions and those detected in the real world significant. The testing procedure is clearly inadequate."

In a letter to Louise Ellman MP, Volkswagen’s UK boss, Paul Willis said: "It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) is widely recognised, both inside and outside of the industry, that the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) testing (which is the type approval testing used in the EU) is not fit for purpose. Its deficiencies are recognised.

"There is no simple linear relationship that exists between data from NEDC testing and data derived from real world driving."

Ms Ellman added: "It is essential to examine these allegations and to ensure that the government and EU take action to restore public confidence."