67. Providing an update on the European policy concerning CO₂ emissions from heavy-duty vehicles, the expert from the EC provided information of the development of a methodology for the assessment of the fuel-, energy consumption and CO₂ emissions of Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDVs). Its core component is the VECTO tool, currently existing as a prototype. The tool allows for the simulation of HDV CO₂ emissions using a number of technical component specific and vehicle specific parameters (engine, other drive train components, superstructure, and auxiliaries) over several standard test cycles, which are specific for the use of the vehicle (i.e. mission profile specific cycles such as city delivery cycle, long haul delivery cycle and others). The new simulation tool will be made available to the public as an element for their purchase decision to allow operators to simulate the fuel consumption and CO₂ emission performance of different HDVs for their individual purpose. Further regulatory actions will be considered at a later stage, notably the introduction of CO₂ emission limits (as for light vehicles) or possibly other options such as the possible inclusion of road transport emissions in the EU Emission Trading System. The development of UN Regulations or UN GTRs addressing CO₂ emissions from HDV is not foreseen at the moment.

68. The expert from OICA underlined the difficulty to link the energy consumption and CO₂ emission performances, the usage profiles of vehicles and type approval requirements. The expert from the EC clarified that legislative instruments to associate the use of the VECTO tool for the emissions with type approval process is currently on-going. A proof of concept study was performed by the EC in collaboration with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in order to demonstrate the plausibility of this certification approach, the effectiveness of the experimental procedures introduced and the accuracy of the model. Results were very promising with simulated CO₂ being within ±3.5% of measured values over several different operating conditions. Nevertheless, should the VECTO’s specific mission profile cycles be considered inappropriate for type approval certification, he reported that it is also possible to test the HDV on the road, using a pre-determined test cycle. A proposal is expected over the course of 2014.