Particulate trap check signals start of emissions clampdown
Diesel-engined vehicles that have had standard particulate trap exhaust aftertreatment devices removed will fail their annual tests from February, roads minister Robert Goodwill has announced.
The tightening of testing to include a physical check on the presence of a standard diesel particulate filter (DPF) is seen as a first step in dealing with aftermarket modifications to vehicles which mean they no longer conform to set pollution limits for their type.
“I am very concerned that vehicles are being modified in a way that is clearly detrimental to people’s health and undoes the hard work manufacturers have taken to improve emissions standards,” the minister said.
“It has become apparent the government had to intervene to clarify the position on particulate filter removal given the unacceptable negative impact on air quality.
“The changes to the MoT tests makes it clear – if you have this filter removed from your vehicle it will fail the test.”
Previously, a diesel vehicle could obtain a test pass irrespective of whether or not a standard particulate filter was fitted or removed: it merely had to pass the standard exhaust gas opacity test, the figure for which depends upon the age of the vehicle.
Testers will now be required to check the vehicle’s exhaust system for the physical presence of a filter, although the Department for Transport’s press office was unable to give a definitive answer as to whether a vehicle fitted with a ‘gutted’ or mocked-up filter could still pass the test.
The Department for Transport has confirmed to Transport Operator that this addition to the testing procedure is the first step in a campaign to ensure diesel emissions conformance throughout vehicle life.
A spokesman for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA – the successor to VOSA which controls vehicle roadworthiness testing in Great Britain – said: “The introduction of the a visual inspection for DPFs is the starting point. We are aware that there will be a small minority that will try to fool the system. That is why the department will continue to explore what further they can do in a legal as well as practical sense to eradicate the removal and enforce the refitting of these components.”
With the exception of MAN vehicles, most heavy trucks on the UK’s roads do not have DPFs fitted as standard, although some older vehicles have had them installed to achieve compliance with London Low Emissions limits.
It’s a different story on light and medium-duty commercials though, with DPFs being standard on most vans since 2006.
