Is there a difference in emissions standards between cars sold in U.S. and Europe? If so, describe.
For ex., is there a difference in the emission standards between a Ford focus sold in U.K., and Ford focus sold in U.S.? Or Mercedes, or Volvo, or etc....? If there is a difference, is it a legal one, i.e., car bought in Germany canno be driven in U.S., etc?
elaborate if you know........
bob
And the reason you can't Google, for instance, "Euopean vehicle emissions", "EPA vehicle emission standards", "California Air Resources Board", or other similar made-up search line might be?
Short answer is yes, there is a BIG difference. In many other countries there are NO emissions standards on autos. That is why importing them is hard, they do not meet the tougher standards in the US. Some countries have limited standards that are still far lower than the US. It is one of the reasons why the diesels that folks seem to think they want also cannot be imported. They do not meet the EPA standards.
Not to mention standards on tires, glass, headlights, etc.
I think the EU has adopted emission standards that are equal to U.S. standards...as the other guy said, Google would be a good way to find out.
actually i googled some stuff, and a bunch of unrelated info popped up..
bob
yes Bob, you ask a simple question, and you get a bunch of smart-ass answers from the no-nothings, that would best serve the forum by zipping the lips.
And, their lack of intelligence prevents them from participating in a dialogue - that might help others. a sorry lot.
Bob sez,
what you experienced - according to your above remark - is typical.
A simple question? The guy expects someone to cough up a summary of what has taken the industry the last 30 or so years to develop, and "report back" without even a suggestion that he has a need for the information other than just being "curious" (that's the word you use, too) and everyone is supposed to hop to it?.....I don't think so.
If Bob had spent some time with a simple Google search he would at least have had the basics. Why he had trouble with "EPA" is anyone's guess.
.=2E..waiting for your own dissertation on the differences between Euro and US Fed emission regs....you can leave California for another lecture.
Ayup. That darn Google never reads my mind either.
pppffftttt.
bob wrote: :
"Vehicle Emission Standards Around the Globe," Ford Motor Co.:
Don't be such a pushy twit, and next time, leave out irritating and unneeded commands like that.
thanks cavedweller. and silly me, i figured that somebody who actually knew something about the topic might chime in, but nope.
bob
snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net wrote:
A simple question? The guy expects someone to cough up a summary of what has taken the industry the last 30 or so years to develop, and "report back" without even a suggestion that he has a need for the information other than just being "curious" (that's the word you use, too) and everyone is supposed to hop to it?.....I don't think so.
If Bob had spent some time with a simple Google search he would at least have had the basics. Why he had trouble with "EPA" is anyone's guess.
....waiting for your own dissertation on the differences between Euro and US Fed emission regs....you can leave California for another lecture.
Ayup. That darn Google never reads my mind either.
pppffftttt.
Well, Bob, as others have inferred, a lot of it has to do with how you ask the question. I still say Google, read, and try to find the numbers. Hint: HC, CO, NOx.
Bob - be caring, if you encounter those in the group that have a persecution complex, you are likely to get - a put down.
One place to get a civil answer to your question would most likely be your state's regulatory commission in charge of such matters.
"bob" wrote in news:9A88g.9157$ snipped-for-privacy@tornado.tampabay.rr.com:
Actually, the link provided by do-not-spam-me is an excellent one. To repeat:
What search terms did you use, and did you include the word "grams" to weed out the nontechnical documents (emissions are measured in grams/mile, grams/Km, grams/test)?
Ain't that the truth......
I think they're close now. Notwithstanding the fact that US environmentalists like to self-flagellate and make it sound like the US is bringing on the end of life as we know it, the US has consistently been about 30 years ahead of Europe on vehicle emissions until very recently. One area where Europe is actually ahead now is low-sulfur diesel, but that's about the only area and the US will catch up next year or so. heck, Europe still had leaded fuel in the 90s.
There are also some legal issues. Back in the 'old days', one used to be able to go to a European auto manufacturer, purchase a car built to US specs and import it. No more. That loophole has been plugged. The way I understand it is as follows (experts feel free to jump in with better info.): The certification of compliance with US standards is the property of the importer (usually a US corporation). A statement by the manufacturer that an auto 'meets US specs' is meaningless, as it isn't backed up with the appropriate documentation traceable to the required compliance testing. Only the approved compliance paperwork will do.
Its possible to get the required certification done by a third party. But as this might require crash testing a half dozen test cars, among other things, its unlikely that anyone will undertake such a project.
It seems Porsche, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Saab haven't heard about these supposed difficulties with European delivery of US-spec cars:
No, these programs just provide that additional documentation. It has made it a whole lot more cumbersome paperwork-wise, but other than that things haven't really changed.
--scott
"Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@Hovnanian.com:
I think that's only for vehicles not specifically designed to meet US standards.
For example, a few years ago, talk show hostess Sally Jessy Raphael imported a Smart car from Germany, and was faced with the task of converting it to US specs. She actually managed to do it. Interviewed after it was all done, she said the process was a nightmare, and if she'd known how hard it would be, she would never have done it.
Among other things, the NHTSA wanted proof the car would meet US crash standards and originally claimed she'd have to get some Smart cars actually crashed to prove it. Raphael obtained some crash-test documents from MCC, but they were in French. The NHTSA initially refused to even look at them, saying "we don't speak French". They did eventually accept them, after some consultation with Raphael's lawyer.
What a mess.
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