The European Commission wants all member states to investigate into how many cars use illegal “defeat” devices to cheat emissions tests in light of the scandal at Volkswagen, a Commission spokeswoman said today. Volkswagen has said 11 million of its diesel cars around the world could be implicated after the US Environmental Protection Agency revealed VW had been using software to mask pollutants. “We are inviting all member states to carry out an investigation at…

Brussels, 23 September 2015 – In light of the latest emission testing news, ACEA recognises the gravity of the situation and is taking this very seriously. However, we cannot comment on an issue affecting one individual company. There is no evidence that this is an industry-wide issue. In the EU, the legal requirements concerning motor vehicle pollutant emissions currently refer to a test cycle performed under common laboratory conditions. All Euro 6 diesel cars on…

The Garda Commissioner has proposed the creation of a new motoring offence to penalise drivers who fail to carry special emergency equipment in their cars. According to documents released under the Freedom of Information Act, gardaí want to make it an offence not to carry a working torch, breakdown triangle, high-visibility vest, first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher at all times while driving. Earlier this year the Road Safety Authority held a public consultation about…

The US government has ordered Volkswagen to recall almost 500,000 cars after discovering that the company deployed sophisticated software to cheat emission tests allowing its cars to produce up to 40 times more pollution than allowed. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday accused VW of installing illegal “defeat device” software that dramatically reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions – but only when the cars are undergoing strict emission tests. “Put simply, these cars contained software…

Automotive News is reporting today that Volkswagen and Audi sold about 482,000 diesel vehicles with illegal emissions control software designed to make their cars appear cleaner in testing than they are in the real world, the EPA said today. The software, included on VW and Audi vehicles from the 2009-15 model years with 2.0-liter turbodiesel engines, detects when a car is undergoing EPA emissions testing and turns on the vehicle’s full emissions controls. The software…

The European new-car market grew by 11.5 per cent in August compared to a year earlier, reports JATO Dynamics, the world’s leading provider of automotive intelligence. The market grew by 8.9 per cent year-to-date compared to 2014. The European new-car market recorded growth of 11.5%, the third time this year double-digit growth has been achieved. Germany increased sales by over 13,000 units compared to August 2014, while Spain achieved over 11,000 more units registered. Cyprus,…

If your certificate of authorisation is expiring in the next few months then you should prepare now for your re-inspection. Having a fully compliant inspection will ensure that you are allowed the maximum 3 year certification period, while non-compliances are likely to result in a shorter period of certification. Here are a few recommendations for areas to check in advance of your inspection to help ensure that the assessment process is successful. Spend some time…

From Monday 15 June 2015, there will be a new look to the NCT certificate and disc. Instead of the traditional pink and blue cert, the NCTS certificate will be yellow and brown in colour with new built in security features. Please note that the pink/blue certificate will still be valid until they expire which is when the vehicle will be due for its next NCT. Enforcement is the responsibility of An Garda Síochána who…