AIR Index expands emission testing system for polluting vehicles
A comprehensive system that uses real-world data to allow vehicle owners, retailers and manufacturers to check the emissions of particular makes and models of vehicles for free has been expanded. Called the AIR Index, it claims to identify the cleanest cars across the whole market.
Until now, and especially since Dieselgate, there have been many studies and reports about real-world emissions. However, these have typically tested a small selection of vehicles, which made them useful only for broad policy development.
With the launch of this expanded AIR Index programme, cities, retailers and fleet managers now have an alternative. Thanks to the coverage of over 90% of model variants in the key segments, the AIR Index claims it can help make clean air zones and other incentive schemes work more effectively.
AIR Index says that its expanded index will allow the NOx-related air quality problem to be solved in the quickest and easiest way for cities, with the minimum impact necessary on car owners and fleets.
The AIR Alliance rates vehicles for NOx and CO2 separately, on scales from A to E. And the Greater London Authority will be using the AIR Index to power its Cleaner Vehicle Checker, which can be found at: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/pollution-and-air-quality/cleaning-londons-vehicles/cleaner-vehicle-checker. This works in conjunction with the Ultra Low Emissions Zone to inform and incentivise car drivers and buyers.
Says Nick Molden, co-founder of the AIR Alliance:
“Creating a fully-fledged alternative to official ratings has been the objective of the AIR Alliance from the beginning, and we are pleased now to be able to launch the expanded AIR Index to offer an important practical tool to cities, buyers and the industry.”
“Reducing nitrogen oxide emissions is not the only type of pollution that is of concern, but it is perhaps the most pressing in the light of the systematic design problems of vehicles that were revealed by Dieselgate.”
As a not-for-profit organisation, the AIR Alliance is independent of the car industry and governments. It claims its objective is to bring about reductions in air pollution and gases that contribute to climate change through the power of real-world data.
