Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements in the … · 2017. 1. 23. · 2 . Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements in the Automotive Sector. Questions and Answers

1

Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements in the Automotive Sector

Questions and Answers AUDI AG QUESTION 1 EMIS Hearing 24 January 2017

No. Question

1

In lorries engines with a larger cylinder capacity are used and hence a greater energy conversion efficiency is achieved. In passenger cars, in contrary, engines with a smaller cylinder capacity and hence a lower energy conversion efficiency are used. Could the NEDC - which is the basis for the type approval - be one reason (apart from technical ones) why the development of engines in lorries and passenger cars were different? The requirements profile for lorries differs significantly from that for passenger cars. Lorries are designed for transporting high loads at a speed of between 80 and 90 km/h. Their users expect a total mileage over the lifetime of the vehicle of approx. 1 million kilometres and long service intervals. Passenger cars, in contrast, (the development of which is the focus of our company), have no universally applicable driving profile. Therefore, we have to take into consideration short-distance operation with frequent cold starts just the same as medium and long-distance operation. The transportation of high loads is considered an exceptional situation (e.g. on holiday trips). We do not consider the NEDC to be the reason for the diverging development of commercial vehicles and passenger cars.

A 000832 20.01.2017

2



No. Question

2

Does a reduced operation of the NOx emission reduction system lead to less ash and soot in the diesel particle filter (DPF)? Could this be a reason why manufacturers reduce the NOx cleaning in order to achieve greater durability of the DPF? The amount of ash and soot depends on a number of factors including, among others, the driving profile or the quality of fuel and engine oil. However, the system used to reduce NOx emissions (e.g. SCR catalytic converter) has no influence on the amount of ash and soot. Therefore, a reduced operation of the NOx reduction system does not reduce the amount of ash and soot in the diesel particle filter and therefore has no influence on its (long-term) durability. If the DPF and its regeneration function are controlled correctly, there is no connection between durability and the amount of soot produced.

3



No. Question

3

It seems that we are on the edge of mass electro mobility. An electric car is technically less complicated, easier to produce and consists of less components than a car with a combustion engine. How do you assess the impact on increased electro mobility on your company in terms of employment, existence of value added chain and the depth in production in Europe? We consider electro mobility to be a great strategic opportunity for Audi. The first electric car we will introduce will be an electric SUV in the upper mid-sized range, which will be produced here in Brussels in our Belgium Audi plant with 2,525 employees, starting in 2018. This will be the first electric car in the premium segment that is suitable for long-distance driving. A sporty electric saloon in the executive range will follow in 2019. And from 2020 we will offer electric cars in the compact segment, i.e. cars the size of an Audi A3. From 2021/22 onwards, we will gradually transform our core car lines to full electric. Our European staff, more than 81,400 employees, will also benefit from this development because it is planned that a substantial part of the electrification of our core car lines will take place in Europe. While it is true that an electric motor itself consists of fewer components than a combustion engine, an electric drive train is similarly complex as it combines high-voltage batteries, power electronics and, in most cases, several electric motors. Qualifications are shifting from classic mechanical engineering to electrical engineering/functions. This creates new highly qualified jobs in our company. As regards the value added chain, we are developing, for example, battery technology to become a new area of expertise within our group, for a start we have built up know-how in packaging battery cells and power electronics and then the VW Group announced the first battery production in Germany. We are qualifying our employees to become familiar with the new disciplines in internal programmes for their further education and training and with the help of scientific cooperation.

4



No. Question

4

Preliminary test results of the Audi A3 model undertaken by the JRC (dated 10 August 2016) showed that when slightly changing the parameters of the official laboratory test, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions were twice as high as recorded in the NEDC test: 163 mg/km. Emissions were almost twice as high (139.8 mg/km) when the test was repeated at 10°C, outside of the normal 20-30°C NEDC boundary conditions. Can you please explain the reason for these results? Are we right to assume that these results suggest the use of test recognition software? Our assessment of the tests undertaken by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) on 10 August is as follows: from a regulatory perspective, the series of measurements complies with statutory requirements. The tested model complies with the EU6 limit of 80 mg/km in the NEDC cold test. No statutory limits exist for the NEDC warm test, to which the above test values relate. The stated measured value for the NEDC warm is an average value of two measurements (95 and 235 mg/km). In our opinion, such an averaging is dubious from a technical perspective. Internal and external tests (e.g. independent expert opinion by FEV) carried out with vehicles of the same concept did not result in any abnormal results, both in cold and warm conditions. The framework conditions of the warm-temperature tests must be analysed (e.g. catalytic converter load/regeneration). Conclusion: The model is not equipped with a defeat device.

5



No. Question

5

Is the strategy/technology for automatic gearboxes for Audi cars in the US is the same as used in its cars in Europe? Has Audi started discussions of this particular case relating to CO2 emission irregularities with the German or EU authorities?

The hardware components are generally identical, but there are country or market-specific applications to meet different customer requirements, such as the wish for smooth start-up comfort in China or the wish for higher starting performance in the US. We are in constructive discussions with competent EU authorities about the automatic-shift gearboxes.

6



No. Question

6

As you certainly know, EU legislators are currently working on real driving emission tests that are to be compulsory in the very near future. As the development of new engine technology takes several years, you must already have assessments at your disposal on how much the technology used in current models needs to be changed. Can you share with us an overview of real driving emissions of your current models, if possible compared to other car producers? Generally, the following applies: the increasing technical efforts required to comply with regulatory requirements have a significant impact on the pricing of cars, which may make products unattractive for customers. The automotive industry recognises the need to invest in new technologies, but it faces a big challenge in this regard. The product life cycle of seven years preceded by a development time of five years means that, when we start a vehicle project, we try to anticipate the legislation of the next twelve years. Therefore, we develop vehicle architectures to be as flexible as possible. Nevertheless, only limited updates in the scope of model upgrading are possible. Such limits are placed, for example, by the available installation space. Audi always aims to offer cutting edge technology in order to comply with the demanding challenges of RDE legislation.

7



No. Question

Please see the following page

8

7

Could you indicate which Technical Services and which Type Approval Authorities did you choose over the period between years 2010-2015 for the whole type approval of the concrete vehicles in your fleet, and type approval of emissions? Please, provide concrete data and types of vehicles. Why did you choose which technical service and which type approval authority, what were the considerations? Have you changed the technical service and/or type approval authority in the past, what were your considerations? For the whole vehicle Type approval of M1 vehicles we have a 100% share at KBA with Technical Service SGS-TÜV, for the type approval of emissions we have a 100% share at SNCH, Luxembourg, with Technical Service ATEEL. This is valid for all AUDI AG, quattro GmbH and AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft. vehicles.

The situation today is based on a historically grown, stable and proven cooperation. Audi has not changed the technical service and/or type approval authority in the past.

9



No. Question

8

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) published in November 2016 information about discovers that some Audi engines were rigged to produce lower CO2 emissions in labs than in normal road by the fact the AUDI cars were programmed to shift gears in a way that cut emissions when in test mode but to have superior performance when they were on the road. CARB technicians conducting lab tests on Audi's vehicles, more specifically Audi A6 and A8 sedans and Q5 sport-utility vehicles that are equipped with the AL 551 automatic transmission, made them react as if on a road by turning the steering wheel and when they deviated from lab conditions, the CO2 emissions of AUDI vehicles rose dramatically. The new allegation suggests that those vehicles contain software calibrated to cheat on emissions tests and may have higher CO2 emissions than allowed by law in some places. Could you provide us with any new updates and explanations regarding your statements and explanation to those findings of CARB? Please understand that we cannot comment on ongoing proceedings.

10



No. Question

9

In relation to the previous question, according to your own testing and calculations, do you expect to comply with the CFs 2.1 regarding the introduction of new Euro 6c limits as of September 2017, as the date supposed application of the RDE tests? If yes, what is the nature of changes you are going to introduce to your models to comply with the limits as prescribed by the law? Are you able to target to the conformity factor 1 soon in the near future? Where are the reasons of the fact that your cars do not comply with valid Euro 6 limits which are already known almost for a decade? All Audi models homologated as from September 2017 will comply with the RDE legislation. Our EU6c package of measures comprising internal, engine-based measures and exhaust after-treatment consists of an optimised combustion process and an optimised exhaust after-treatment. Optimisations in the combustion process relate, among others, to injection hydraulics, piston shapes, valve control, cylinder running surface development and thermal management. Examples for optimised exhaust after-treatment include the SCR system and the catalyst coating with regard to conversion capability and heat resistance.

11



No. Question

10

At the time of the legislative procedure, the impact assessment considered LNT technology capable of reducing NOx emissions to a regulatory limit of 150 mg/km and the consistent application of SCR to be able to achieve 75 mg/km. Keeping in mind that the EU law (Regulation 715/2007/EC Article 5(1)) requires manufacturers to equip vehicles so as to enable the vehicle to comply with the emission limit values contained in the Regulation “in normal use”, what was the reason for Opel to increase the share of LNT equipped diesel vehicles between 2013 and 2014 in the EU to more than 60% just as the stricter Euro 6 standard was entering force? Please understand that we do not comment on competitors. As regards Audi, the exhaust after-treatment depends on the model and drive concept. Both the NOx storage catalyst and the SCR system are effective options of exhaust after-treatment. Some Audi models also use a combination of both systems.

12



No. Question

Please see the following page

13

11

As a long-established car manufacturer you are somewhat in a dilemma in this transition period towards electro mobility: on the one hand you have to invest into R&D for the combustion engine to make it compliant with stricter emission values, on the other hand you have to invest at the same time in new technologies. A problem that e.g. Tesla as a mere manufacturer of cars does not have. How do you tackle this problem and what do you expect from politics? The costly dilemma: on the one hand, we are trying to give new technology a major boost. On the other hand, we have to first earn the money from existing technology to be able to build for the future. That is why we have launched the plug-in hybrid before introducing the electric car. A product’s suitability for everyday use is very important to customers; no customer wants to compromise. Therefore, ranges of less than 400 kilometres don’t come into question for us. Future battery technology will make larger ranges possible. For this reason, in the course of next year we will be the first among our core competitors to launch a purely electric vehicle suitable for long distances. Two and a half years ago, we launched our Audi A3 e-tron as an alternative and, one year ago, we brought out the Audi Q7 e-tron. Plug-in hybrids provide both the range of an efficient combustion engine and emission-free driving for most everyday trips, i.e. distances of up to 50 kilometres. The next A8 will be accompanied by a plug-in variant. Politics should merely define the framework conditions rather than the specific technology to be applied for reaching new goals. For a project to become feasible it is important that product development cycles in the automotive industry are considered in fixing the time schedule for the relevant goals. The success of a new technology such as e-mobility will quite decisively depend on the framework conditions. Politics can provide an important impetus, for example with regard to the charging infrastructure. There is more than just one facet to sustainable mobility. Apart from fuel cells, we are also researching renewable fuels. We have used them, for example, in our gas-driven g-tron variants of the Audi models A3, A4 and A5. The overall concept of “well to wheel” covers all aspects ranging from the place of energy generation right up to the four wheels. According to this concept, the use of renewable gas will result in a 80% reduction in fossil CO2 as against the value a comparable petrol vehicle would reach in NEDC standard conditions. We achieve this by binding CO2, which would otherwise be directly emitted into the atmosphere. By using excess power from wind farms (power to gas) or bio-methane from waste materials, in Germany we have the potential for millions of gas-operated cars. Since 2013 Audi has been operating the world’s first power-to-gas plant. We are feeding clean synthetic gas into the natural gas grid for all new Audi g-tron customers with a 2017 certification. When introducing new rules for CO2 fleet emissions as of 2020, it will be important to recognise innovative fuels as contributing to the solution for the automotive industry.

14



No. Question

12

What is the share of your R&D investments (in human resources, material, devices) in diesel engines, compared to gasoline and alternative fuel engines (electric, hybrid, gas)? Did you amend your R&D strategy according to changes in European and national legislation? If so, how? Which diesel engines among your fleet are equipped with at least two emission control systems (e.g. SCR, LNT, EGR or combinations thereof)? How do you decide on a particular emission control strategy?

In 2016 Audi has defined a new corporate strategy looking towards the year 2025. It includes a substantial shift towards alternative drive systems such as electric cars. By 2025 we expect about 25% of our cars delivered to be electric, with the share of diesel and gasoline engines thus becoming smaller. Therefore, in 2025 as well, 70 to 75% of our vehicles will still have a combustion engine on board. However, these drive trains will also be marked by a higher degree of electrification (mild hybrids and plug-in hybrids). Naturally, this will be reflected in the split of our R&D spending, with a rising share for future drive systems. In 2015, our R&D activities reached a total of € 4.2 billion. The numbers for 2016 will be published at our Annual Press Conference in March.

Documents

Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements in the … · 2017. 1. 23. · 2 . Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements in the Automotive Sector. Questions and Answers