Automotive News reported that the EPA also says that the testing will include rental and customer vehicles later to ensure that the diesel emissions are in-line with expectations. Expect confusion like this to be common until the EPA sorts out the mess Volkswagen's dirty diesel cheat-fleet has created. In related news today, VW now says that Skoda, SEAT and some commercial diesels made by VW are fitted with the software that over-rides emissions controls.
On-road testing has not been part of EPA evaluations in the past. Rather, vehicles are run on a test stand including a dynamometer. Most certifications are carried out by the automakers themselves following strict guidelines for data collection and reporting. Hyundai and MINI were the latest automakers to have discrepancies between the conclusion and the data. Both were ordered to re-label their vehicles' MPG ratings. Ford had some similar issues. To find such discrepancies, EPA does pull and re-test some vehicles itself from each automaker from each model year. For a comprehensive look at the on-vehicle testing that is to come, and to gain a better understanding of the types of diesel emissions controls now needed to comply, please check out this report.
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