European market surveillance of motor vehicles - 2023 Emissions Dataset

This report presents the results of the work conducted by the Joint Research Centre as the European Commission contribution to market surveillance on pollutant emissions from internal-combustion engine vehicles in 2023. It encompasses experimental data and compliance assessments relative to the measurement of pollutant emissions from internal combustion engine vehicles available on the European Market. The report also contains a short overview of results obtained in the same context between September 2020 and January 2024. It discusses lessons learned during the application of testing procedures, with a view to share best practices with the participating authorities and potentially, to draw the path toward future policy updates. No non-compliances were detected in 2023 for standard

laboratory and on-road tests of Type 1, Type 1a and Type 6. The first Type 4 (evaporative emissions) tests since the beginning of the JRC Market Surveillance mandate were performed in 2022 and 2023 in VELA 3, and are reported here. None of the officially tested vehicles resulted to be non-compliant to Type 4 tests, although a couple of pilot testing campaigns revealed some non-compliance risks. One vehicle was found to be non-compliant to Type 5 (durability) tests.

Auxiliary Emissions Strategies exhibiting a high environmental impact were found primarily for CO emissions of gasoline vehicles, certainly linked to the “fuel enrichment” activation, claimed to be necessary to protect some engines and their After-treatment System under high engine load conditions or driving conditions that may be risky for the engine and vehicle safety. Relatively high NOx emissions were observed in high-altitude tests performed on one Diesel vehicle. This behaviour is attributed to an Auxiliary Emissions Strategy implying de-activation of the Exhaust Gas Recirculation. All the observed high-emissions were attributed to Auxiliary Emissions Strategies that were checked and, in principle, approved by the relevant National Authorities.