Vehicle Emissions

Canadians can now purchase vehicles that are the cleanest in the world. And the Auto Industry continues to make environmental improvements to their products that will contribute to cleaner air and reduced smog.

The Canadian automobile industry has made significant contributions to the reduction of smog-related emissions from on-road mobile sources. The regulated tailpipe emissions which are involved in the formation of smog and include hydrocarbons (VOC), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx), as well as carbon monoxide (CO). Such emissions are measured on a milligram per kilometer basis and are different than other emissions such as carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas. It is important to make the distinction between these types of emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions are a result of burning carbon-based fuels in the vehicle and are directly proportional to the distances we travel in our vehicles and the amount of gasoline consumed.

In response to both regulation and by taking significant voluntary action, several generations of continuously more advanced vehicle emission controls have been introduced. In 1988, the Canadian government harmonized vehicle emission regulation and requirements for passenger cars with the more stringent standards in the United States at the time, recognizing the integration of the North American automotive industry and the advancements introduced there. That approach continues to this day bringing very significant air quality benefits to all Canadians. Since that time, emissions control systems on passenger cars and light duty trucks, have continued to evolve with each new generation, achieving even more stringent emissions standards along the way (1988, 1996, 2001 and 2004). For example, vehicles meeting the U.S. National Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) requirements were voluntarily introduced into Canada for the 2001 model year. Compared to the pre-control era of the late 1960’s these Low Emission Vehicles (LEV) were capable of reducing NOx and VOC emissions by 95 and 99 percent respectively.

Figure 1: passenger Car Reductions from Pre-control. (Click on picture to enlarge)

In January 2004, a new emissions milestone was achieved whereby the government of Canada introduced, with the auto industry’s support, the new Tier 2 emissions program for all light duty vehicles sold in Canada.

What is most significant about this regulation is that for the first time, all passenger cars and light duty trucks, including Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) must meet the same Tier 2 emission standards. When fully introduced, these vehicles will be reducing NOx emissions by another 75% over the previous LEV emission requirements. Overall, under the Tier 2 program, light duty vehicle emissions (both NOx and VOC) will be reduced by over 99% compared to the pre-control era when operated on fuels of the required quality. Canadians are now able to purchase vehicles which are capable of meeting the most stringent national emissions standards in the world. For more details about the Tier 2 program see Environment Canada website.

These substantial reductions in tailpipe emissions are only part of the overall vehicle improvements made by the auto industry. Today’s vehicles are designed to comply with a myriad of additional emission control-related requirements. For example:

	In-use emissions performance of new vehicles under the Tier 2 program is required for the full useful life of the vehicle, which is over 190,000 km or 10 years.
	The Supplemental Federal Test Procedure (SFTP), which is the currently required test procedure, now measures emissions at high speed and under high load conditions, which is more representative of how consumers drive their vehicles.
	On-board Refueling Vapour Recovery (ORVR) and enhanced evaporative emission control systems found on most cars and trucks today dramatically reduce the amount of fuel vapour released into the atmosphere in the form of hydrocarbon emissions.
	Advanced On-board Diagnostic (OBD) systems found on all of today’s light duty vehicles are capable of diagnosing and warning the driver of even small performance degradations in a vehicle’s emission control system.

Figure 2

Figure 3

What does it really mean in terms of vehicles on the road?

Today’s 2004 model year vehicles are extremely clean in terms of smog-related emissions.

So clean in fact that the emissions of just one 1993 model year passenger car equals that of twelve (12) 2004 model year passenger cars.

And beginning in the 2005 model year, Canada’s Tier 2 emissions programs calls for passenger cars, light duty trucks and SUV’s to meet an even more stringent standards in terms of smog related emissions.

To illustrate this, consider the examples at Figure 3.

Canada’s auto industry continues to do its part to improve air quality through the introduction of new advancements in emission control technology and vehicles which operate on alternative fuels. The number and speed at which vehicles equipped with these advanced technologies enter the market will determine how quickly the air quality benefits are realized.

In other words, turning over the on-road vehicle fleet and replacing older higher emitting, less fuel efficient vehicles with new vehicles that have the most advanced emission and fuel efficient technologies will be the key to achieving Canada’s environmental objectives relating to personal transportation.

Commitment to Clean Air through Research and Development

Added evidence of the industry’s commitment to clean air lies in its continuing investment in research and development to further reduce emissions while at the same time improving fuel efficiency and enhancing the safety performance of the vehicle. The auto industry has spent many of billions of dollars to design into their vehicles state-of-the-art drive train and emission control technologies, to develop and use new advanced materials, to enhance aerodynamics and to introduce many other efficiency improvements. Research and development continues today.

CVMA Position on Vehicle Emissions

The auto industry in Canada is fully integrated with the United States and rationalized across North America. Vehicle manufacturers design, build and test vehicles to one level of product standard for the Canadian and U.S markets. As a result, vehicle manufacturers are able to utilize economies of scale derived from the larger, combined market to lower the cost of vehicles for Canadians, accelerate the introduction of new technology and move lockstep with the most stringent national emissions standards in the world.

The auto industry supports the continued alignment of emissions programs and timing with U.S. EPA vehicle emissions programs. This approach allows for the continued harmonization of products across North America, providing Canadians with the greatest choice of new vehicles equipped with state-of-the-art emission control technologies at least cost, while at the same time meeting Canada’s clean air objectives.

Total Systems Approach - Appropriate Fuel Quality for Optimum Emissions Performance

Adoption of the total systems approach is the only way to ensure that the maximum and most immediate environmental benefit is realized from today’s very sophisticated emission control technologies. The total systems approach means that the vehicle’s emission control technology is supported by fuels of specified quality that are coincidentally available in the market place. In the absence of appropriate fuel that is available widely across Canada, the full emissions reductions potential of the emission control technology will not be realized. All vehicle manufacturers around the world endorse the recommendations for fuel specifications appropriate for defined emissions control technologies as outlined in the World Wide Fuel Charter (WWFC) (see World Wide Fuel Charter).

Vehicle manufacturers continue to urge the government of Canada to look at the specifications in the WWFC to guide future fuel regulations. This will ensure that the full emission reduction potential of current and future vehicle emission reduction technologies are realized.