Independent, on-road emissions ratings provide clarity for consumers when buying a car in Europe.
07 Mar 2019 | 16453 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
Jaguar Land Rover has become the first car maker in Europe to submit new cars from its Jaguar and Land Rover ranges for independent on-road emissions testing and rating for inclusion in the AIR (Allow Independent Road-testing) Index, with some startling results.
The AIR Index was created to inform and empower car buyers and city ...
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Jaguar Land Rover has become the first car maker in Europe to submit new cars from its Jaguar and Land Rover ranges for independent on-road emissions testing and rating for inclusion in the AIR (Allow Independent Road-testing) Index, with some startling results.
The AIR Index was created to inform and empower car buyers and city policy makers with the real facts about vehicle emissions when making choices about car purchase and usage. A simple A-to-E colour-coded rating shows the difference between clean and dirty vehicles.
The AIR Index ratings published yesterday reveal that the new diesel engines in the Jaguar and Land Rover cars tested for AIR, are some of the cleanest models for NOx emissions on sale in Europe. Every car rated on the AIR Index is based on at least two independently sourced cars, over three separate tests, including at least five, 10km trips conducted on paved roads, using on-board Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) testing equipment.
All of the vehicles achieved an A rating in the tests, the cleanest possible rating. Here is a model-by-model breakdown of Jaguar Land Rover’s AIR Index ratings:
Massimo Fedeli, co-founder and Operations Director, AIR said: “The AIR Index provides easy to understand, at-a-glance information on actual vehicle emissions, from independent testing to help consumers compare vehicles when making buying decisions. Jaguar Land Rover asked us to put a range of their new diesel cars to the test, and the evidence shows that their latest engines are extremely clean, with all of the four models tested achieving the AIR Index A rating, which means that they produce the lowest levels of NOx emissions in urban driving.
“One of the key things to observe from this set of AIR Index ratings is that perceptions of the emissions produced by particular vehicle types, such as SUVs, can be very misleading. In fact, Jaguar’s E-Pace and Land Rover’s Range Rover Evoque are amongst the cleanest cars on sale of any type, not just vehicles within the SUV segment. The perfect example is the Land Rover Discovery, which produced NOx emissions 20 times lower than a diesel Renault Clio supermini.
“The AIR Index was created to provide clarity through the publication of trusted, easily accessible and independent information, essential for car buyers and policy makers to use when making important vehicle choices that can rapidly improve urban air quality.”
Rawdon Glover, Jaguar Land Rover UK managing director, said: “We have been vocal about the benefits of diesel technology in recent years and I am delighted to see simple, clear and accurate consumer information about urban vehicle emissions published and available with the AIR Index.
“The performance of our vehicles on the AIR Index reflects Jaguar Land Rover’s investment in class-leading technology and its hard-working, talented engineers. There are some stand-out results here with the superb performance of our new Jaguar SUVs worthy of specific praise, disproving the notion that all diesel SUVs are ‘dirty’.
“These tests clarify that not all diesels are equal, and not even all Euro 6-approved diesels are equal. As the tests have shown, a diesel SUV can be extremely clean.
“The modern diesel engine certainly has a place in the current automotive landscape, and I’m confident that the AIR Index will provide the trusted, independent information essential to inform car buyers as they consider their next vehicle,” concluded Glover.
AIR (Allow Independent Road-testing) is an independent alliance of public and private organisations, which promotes the voluntary uptake of independent on-road emissions testing. The alliance’s key objective is to contribute to delivering a cost-effective and timely reduction in harmful vehicle emissions in urban areas, while ensuring the lowest CO2 emissions from the global vehicle fleet.
AIR seeks to empower citizens, industry and public authorities to take informed decisions on their mobility practices and policies by promoting full transparency on vehicle emission levels.