Emission testing

New emission testing equipment from Lysanda suggests that stated carbon emissions, like mpg, are a bit of a lottery...

In an exclusive experiment, Auto Express has put a car manufacturer’s CO2 claims to the test. Using a new device that calculates emissions under real world driving conditions, we’ve been able to see exactly how much CO2 a Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi emits on the road.

Developed by software engineers at Lysanda the technology plugs directly into the car’s On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) port, analyses engine data and predicts emissions.

Our gentle drive along B-roads and A-roads replicated a typical motorist’s journey and we returned an average CO2 reading of around 170g/km –†some 43g/km more than the manufacturer’s claim of 127g/km.

Hard acceleration pushed this figure past 390gkm – more than the average CO2 output of a supercharged V8-engined Range Rover Sport –†but gentle coasting saw a reading of around 70g/km.

Commenting, a spokesman for Ford said: “The ability to hit the average CO2 targets we set as manufacturers is entirely within the driver’s remit and anything that helps drivers to do this is to be applauded.”

Eco-Log’s initial use will be within the fleet industry where the system can identify heavy-footed drivers, helping to cut fuel consumption and the companies CO2 output. The system could also feature in private vehicles too, potentially being used for pay-as-you-pollute road charging (see this week’s issue of Auto Express for more). Discuss here