Calculation model confirms strong emission reduction
The German automotive industry has been extremely successful in terms of air pollution control in the recent years. In spite of a continuously increasing mileage, manufacturers succeeded in reducing the CO2 emissions and decreasing the "limited emissions” with new technologies and improved fuel to an extent where modern passenger cars and trucks stress the environment only marginally.
The TREMOD calculation model developed by the IFEU Institute in Heidelberg on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency and the VDA confirms this success. While the majority of the emission reductions were achieved between 1990 and 2005, further reduction can be expected for the coming years. The model calculates the following reduction in comparison to 1990 by 2020:
- 94 percent for volatile hydrocarbons (HC),
- 86 percent for particles (PM),
- 90 percent for carbon monoxide (CO), and
- 73 percent for nitrogen oxides (NO).
The TREMOD model is currently being reviewed, as it does not include the new and more stringent Euro exhaust levels. Experts expect the newly calculated emission values to be notably lower and therefore better.
The German automotive industry has undoubtedly fulfilled the tasks assigned to with great success. If the complete vehicle population was changed to the most recent models, the further emission reduction could be accelerated significantly. Currently, around 30 percent of the passenger cars only meet the requirements of the Euro 2 exhaust level or below. If all vehicles fulfilled the requirements of the most recent Euro 4 exhaust level, particle emissions could be reduced by 87 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions could be reduced by half. Therefore, a renewal of the vehicle population would be the best environment protection measure.