Mr. Sharpe presented an overview of certification procedures for advanced technology HDVs with special emphasis of evaluating test methods and opportunities for global alignment. Being a first time participant in the HDH group, he first introduced the ICCT.

The ICCT (International Council on Clean Transportation) was founded in 2001 by leading air quality and transportation regulators and experts from around the world. The ICCT has offices in the USA, Europe and China, and its mission is to improve the environmental performance and efficiency of onroad vehicles, aircraft, and marine vessels.

The presentation is based on a report recently published. Motivations for the report were the increased activity worldwide for fuel efficiency/GHG regulatory development and the need for sound test procedures for HD hybrid systems and vehicles. The GTR No. 4 test procedure is considered as a potential first step towards harmonization of both criteria pollutant and GHG programs worldwide after 2020. Advantages and disadvantages of four test methods were evaluated: chassis dynamometer-based testing, engine dynamometer-based testing, powertrain dynamometer-based testing, and Hardware-in-the-Loop simulation and testing. Parameters for the evaluation were: consistency with existing engine test procedures, applicable powertrain configurations, robustness and resource requirements. It was concluded that no one method was clearly superior across all relevant parameters (see page 9 of the presentation).

As a summary, the ICCT considers the GRPE/HDH process as important for not only ensuring more equitable treatment of hybrid vehicles, but for also creating a stronger link between criteria pollutant and FE/GHG programs and for paving the way for global harmonization of test procedures. The functional equivalence of the WHTC and WHVC presents an excellent opportunity for creating this alignment between criteria pollutant and fuel efficiency/GHG programs, which is strongly supported by the ICCT.