VW/Audi

Powerdude wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:
The current US Tier 2 has a lower NOx output requirement than the EU Euro VI does although their PM outputs are the same. They also use different drive cycles to determine output. Current US Tier 2 vehicles will most likely pass Euro VI, but Euro VI vehicles will not pass US Tier 2 due to the lower NOx requirement of the US emission standard. This is why there was a delay on the VM Ecodiesel when they first came out. The engines met the European standards, but had to be recalibrated to meet more stringent US standards.

Finally, somebody who actually knows what they are talking about. I used to read the various clean air rules when I was doing some consulting also.

The imbeciles at the EPA who came up with this set of rules should be fired. They came up with it without regard for the actual science. This is the reason that companies have to go through multiple product development cycles to comply with different European and US clean air regulations, leading to extra time and expenses for everybody involved, including compliance officers, consumer and auto makers.

There is no reason to have more stringent NOx requirements in the US than in Europe, especially once the US has switched over to low sulfur diesel. If you take care of the particulates and the sulfur, the nitrogen levels are not that big of a deal.

The air in Europe is just fine, and their cities are not being dissolved by nitric acid from the atmosphere. The big problem used to be acid rain from US midwest powerplants, mainly sulfur, which led to sulfuric acid (and sulfurous acid) in the rain.

As for the VW thing, this is what happens when consultants for the EPA come up with ridiculous rules. Somebody will decided that itss a lot cheaper to skirt the rules than to spend money, time and resources to follow them.

Frankly, I'm surprised some company didn't do it sooner.

Good morning powerdude. Reference your opinions on the air in Europe. I think this kind of highlights what each of us see as acceptable or tolerable. For us the air in Paris is anything but fine. By 10 in the morning we find it almost intolerable in the city and really it actually chases us out of the city. We found the same or worse in Rome. Madrid is maybe a little better and so are some German cities but really none are comfortable for us to be in for any length of time. We have been in many North American cities and generally speaking find it easier to be in them than many European large cities. Having said that we come from a part of the continent where with the exception of summer forest fire smoke the air is pretty clean. I guess my point is it is amazing what you get used to as you are obviously okay with what we considered borderline intolerable. I'm surprised that anyone would find Paris air fine though. ugh

Just an observation.