What did we learn? What have we changed? What else is waiting for us?
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Since vehicle emission standards were introduced 50 years ago, manufacturers have optimized vehicles and emission control systems around the testing requirements while government agencies keep updating the requirements to try to make sure the reductions also occur in the real world. VW pleaded guilty in the US to fraud, obstruction of justice and falsifying statements as part of a $4.3 billion settlement reached with the U.S. Justice Department. The company was caught due to a relatively new innovation, a miniaturized emission lab that fits in the truck of the car. But the real scandal was finding that almost all manufacturers in Europe were also shutting off diesel emission controls in the real world – and that the gap between official CO2 measurements and real world CO2 emissions in Europe grew from 8% in 2001 to 38% in 2016. Governments in Europe have responded and are trying to close the loopholes, but there are structural problems with enforcement in Europe that are limiting the response.
John German, International Council on Clean Transportation
John German is an independent automotive consultant with 43 years of experience in technology, efficiency, and automotive policy.
His career started with Chrysler in 1976, where he spent 8 years in Powertrain Engineering working on fuel economy issues. He then spent 13 years doing research and writing regulations for EPA’s Office of Mobile Sources’ laboratory in Ann Arbor, MI, 11 years as Manager of Environmental and Energy Analyses for American Honda Motor Company, with an emphasis on being a liaison between Honda’s R&D staff in Japan and regulatory affairs, and 10 years as a Senior Fellow for the International Council for Clean Transportation, with primary responsibility for technology innovation, compliance and enforcement, and U.S. policy development.
Mr. German is the author of a book on hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles published by SAE and a variety of technical papers, including the future of hybrid vehicles, technology costs and benefits, consumer valuation of fuel savings, feebates, and light truck trends. He was the first recipient of the Barry D. McNutt award, presented annually by SAE for Excellence in Automotive Policy Analysis, and was part of the ICCT team that uncovered the VW diesel defeat device.
He has a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Michigan and got over half way through an MBA before he came to his senses.
Attending lectures
Full video
Further resources
There is a great deal more information on this topic on the website of The International Council On Clean Transportation (ICCT), at theicct.org/.
The lecture will be preceded by a short presentation from a CSAR PhD Award Winner.
Improving people’s experience of accessing community-based rehabilitation treatments.
Yuanyuan Li, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge