RDE – Real Driving Emissions of Vehicles

The basis for the emission type approval for passenger cars and light duty commercial vehicles in Europe is the New European Drivecycle (NEDC). For this type approval, the exhaust gas emissions are measured in the NEDC on a chassis dynamometer under defined environmental conditions. This test can only cover a fraction of the driving conditions which occur in real traffic.

Currently, two new test methods are under development, the Worldwide Harmonized Light-duty Test Procedure (WLTP), which includes a new test cycle, the Worldwide Harmonized Light-duty Test Cycle (WLTC), and the measurement of Real Driving Emissions (RDE). While the exhaust gas emissions are still measured under strictly defined conditions in a laboratory in the WLTP, in the RDE the exhaust gas emissions will be measured in real traffic. Based on the European demands on air quality, the NOx emissions and also the PM emissions – Especially in focus will be- vehicles with direct injected, compression ignited engines.

With EU-commission regulation (EU) 2016/427 dated March 10th, 2016 a procedure for the measurement of real driving emissions (RDE) is introduced in Europe. Using PEMS (Portable Emission Measurement System), mobile emission measurements can be conducted, especially for the determination of the number of particulates and for the NOx emissions. In conjunction with the data from the chassis dynamometer, real emission values can be determined.

• RDE route planning
• RDE family selection and selection of representative vehicles
• PEMS validation and WLTC CO2 correlation on the chassis dynamometer
• Measurement of exhaust gas emissions (NOx, NO, NO2, CO, HC, PM etc.) in real operation
• PEMS data analysis