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MEGATRENDS EUROPE ’13: Hello Euro VI, buy buy Euro V

Euro VI comes into effect in January 2014, and it’s a “landmark technological achievement in emissions reduction.” By Martin Kahl

Euro VI formally comes into effect on 1 January 2014, and it’s a “landmark technological achievement in emissions reduction”, delegates were told at Automotive World’s Megatrends Europe ’13, which kicked off in Brussels on 12 November. Day one was devoted to Commercial Vehicles, and the message was that there’s more to come, both from the industry and from the regulatory side.

AW Megatrends Europe 2013So, what is on its way? With Euro VI as good as here, what will be regulated next, and how will any additional regulations be met? OEMs and fleets alike are concerned about investing in alternative powertrain technology, not only because of the up-front cost and uncertain return on investment, but also the resale value, the as-yet unproven long-term benefits, and the limited use cases. Electrification and fuel cell technology may be suitable in some circumstances, but these are restricted to particular applications, and the business case has yet to be made for hybrid technology. Natural gas could stand a chance, but the best way of getting CNG and LNG vehicles onto the roads is, of course, to get them onto the roads.

And the hesitation to invest in new technology is not limited to alternative powertrains: thanks to the considerable up-front and long-term running costs of Euro VI trucks, many OEMs are seeing pre-buy orders filling their books. One OEM suggested off the record that 50% of its current orders are for Euro V trucks.

The European Commission says it develops its regulations in partnership with OEMs, suppliers, and operators, consulting even at trade union level; yet private discussions with fleets, manufacturers and suppliers suggested that the level of dialogue is far from where it needs to be. As a result, attempts are being made to stimulate pan-industry debate, with a view to creating a ‘voice of the industry’ to work with the European Commission in order to help shape legislation, rather than fight against it.

One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to regulation, and there was some agreement that usage-based and duty cycle-related assessment should be considered, instead of broadly-applied legislation. And although fuel efficiency, emissions and air quality are global problems, solutions are not being developed and applied on a global basis. Regulations are regional, and so are standards, yet some of the products to which they apply – vehicles, fuels or lubricants – are sold globally.

There may not be global standards, but there are themes that appear to be standard, globally: energy efficiency needs to be tackled, with a focus on the considerable heat and braking energy losses; the makers of lubricants, fuels and additives say they can all deliver almost instant benefits, as can tyre technology; and there’s a crucial role for telematics, both to monitor and assess driver behaviour, and to improve on-road freight movement.

Indeed, before any more work is done on trying to improve vehicle efficiency through technology, major improvements need to be made in process and management: smart loading and smart deliveries are not just smart terms, they are concepts necessary to address the fact that up to 30% of the trailers on Europe’s roads are running empty.

Perhaps the industry should stop beating itself up, said one speaker: Euro VI may be widely regarded as a major technological step forward in terms of emissions, but it is here and yet even if every truck on the road was replaced with a Euro VI vehicle, there would still be an air pollution problem in Europe’s cities. Now that such advances have been made in truck technology, the commercial vehicle industry might be in a strong enough position to demand a similar level of improvement from other high polluting sectors, ranging from construction, aviation and marine, right through to passenger cars.

This article was first published in the Q4 2013 issue of Automotive World Megatrends Magazine. Follow this link to download the full issue

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