11.7.2015   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 184/22

(1)

The manufacturer Porsche AG (the ‘Applicant’) submitted an application for the approval of a ‘coasting function’ as an innovative technology on 13 October 2014. The completeness of the application was assessed in accordance with Article 4 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 725/2011 (2). The application was found to be complete and the period for the Commission's assessment of the application started on the 14 October 2014 being the day following the date of official receipt.

(2)

The application has been assessed in accordance with Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 443/2009, Implementing Regulation (EU) No 725/2011 and the Technical Guidelines for the preparation of applications for the approval of innovative technologies pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 443/2009 (the ‘Technical Guidelines’) (3).

(3)

The application refers to the Porsche AG ‘coasting’ function. The innovative technology is an automatic gearbox intelligent control strategy that allows the possibility of a driving mode during which the vehicle runs while the combustion engine is decoupled from the wheels (i.e. the clutch is disengaged). During the coasting driving mode, the engine idles but the functioning of auxiliary equipment (e.g. generator, compressor, water pump) is ensured. In addition, when ‘coasting’, the kinetic and potential energy of the vehicle is directly used to overcome driving resistance and, as consequence, to decrease fuel consumption.

(4)

The Applicant has demonstrated that a coasting function of the kind described in this application did not exceed 3 % of the new passenger cars registered in the reference year 2009.

(5)

The accountability criteria specified in Article 4(2)(f)(iii) and Article 9(3) of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 725/2011 require the demonstration that the CO2 reducing performance of the technology is not dependent on the behaviour of driver or on settings or choices outside the control of the applicant. Having considered the information provided by the Applicant, as well as that from other public sources, the Commission considers that this condition would not be met where the coasting function can be disengaged and would require manual re-initiation. This is the case, for example, when the road or car conditions do not allow coasting, where there is a pronounced downhill gradient and when the driver touches the brake pedal, or activates cruise control or sport mode, switches off the start-stop system or uses the manual gear selector. The Applicant has provided an analysis related to some of these matters: when the road or car conditions do not allow coasting, when the driver touches the brake pedal or uses the manual gear selector. Other aspects of driver behaviour regarding manual re-activation of coasting have not been examined. The Commission concludes that the conditions should be specified in order for the coasting technology to meet the accountability criteria set out in the Implementing Regulation. These conditions should ensure that the coasting function cannot be deactivated by the driver, or, where the function is otherwise deactivated, e.g. by the automatic gearbox intelligent control strategy or by any other device, it is automatically activated again immediately after the deactivation event. In view of the above, subject to this condition, the Commission concludes that the information provided in the application demonstrates that the conditions and criteria referred to in Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 443/2009 and in Articles 2 and 4 of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 725/2011 have been met.

(6)

In order to determine the CO2 savings that the innovative technology will deliver when fitted to a vehicle, it is necessary to define the baseline vehicle against which the efficiency of the vehicle equipped with the innovative technology should be compared as provided for in Articles 5 and 8 of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 725/2011. The Commission finds that it is appropriate to consider a vehicle with the coasting function installed and deactivated as a baseline vehicle. If it is not possible to deactivate the coasting function, it should be ensured that the coasting function is not in operation during the testing procedure.

(7)

The Applicant has provided a methodology for testing the CO2 reductions from the use of the ‘coasting’ technology. A number of factors in the formulae are derived from the analysis of the influence of the driver's behaviour on the ‘coasting’ technology. The Commission finds that the number of trips included in the database is satisfactory to conclude that the innovative technology would deliver CO2 savings. However, a larger number of robust, independent data, including additional analysis of how much driving takes place when the engine transmission and battery are being employed at their appropriate operating temperature and what proportion of driving time takes place when more pronounced downhill gradients are being driven when the coasting function is turned off would be necessary to alleviate the uncertainties associated with the CO2 savings from the innovative technology.

(8)

A conversion factor is required in the formulae for the calculation of the potential CO2 savings to address the difference between CO2 emissions from the standard NEDC test and those under modified NEDC testing conditions for the baseline vehicle. In discussions with industry limited data has been provided on relevant values for the c-parameter based on simulations. These showed different results which depend on the characteristics of the transmission and other parameters of the vehicle. From these data, the c-parameter appears to lie within the range 0,96 to 0,99. The Applicant has not provided strong evidence for the use of a specific value for c. In view of this, it is determined that a value of c at the lower end of the identified range should be used to provide certainty over the likely CO2 savings that will be achieved. The conversion factor c is therefore set at a value of 0,96 (compared to 0,97 in the application for which no justification is provided).

(9)

A key element in determining the CO2 savings is the proportion of the distance travelled by the vehicle over which the coasting function will be activated. A usage factor is determined which relates the observed distance covered under coasting conditions by the applicant in tests compared to the coasting distance under modified NEDC conditions. The Applicant proposed a value of 1. The Commission analysis shows that this value cannot be justified by the data provided. Using the Applicant's data would result in a value of 0,87 for the usage factor. However, the Applicant has provided insufficient data to provide certainty that other factors which may result in the coasting function being de-activated are fully taken into account. It is therefore considered appropriate to address the uncertainties by a further proportionate adjustment, resulting in a usage factor of 0,8. This is considered to provide an appropriate margin to take account of these uncertainties and to address their statistical significance. This conclusion could be re-examined if a sufficient number of robust, independent data would be available.

(10)

Furthermore, and in agreement with the Applicant, the Commission finds it appropriate to address the shortcomings in the current assumptions relating to the operation of the cruise control by further adjusting the usage factor since coasting is deactivated when cruise control is activated. The Applicant has not provided any information on this aspect in their application. The Commission has identified that data is available from research in the US on cruise control usage. This shows that, when fitted, cruise control is used for about half of the distance travelled. This means that the usage factor should be halved in cases where cruise control is fitted. The Applicant has confirmed this conclusion and therefore the usage factor is halved to a value of 0,4 when cruise control is fitted to the vehicle. This conclusion could be re-examined if a sufficient number of robust, independent data would be available.

(11)

Against this background, the Commission finds that the methodology provides accurate and reliable results that are reproducible by a third party with regard to the Porsche S-segment vehicles (sport coupé cars) referred to in the application.

(12)

Moreover, the Commission finds that the Applicant has demonstrated satisfactorily that the emission reduction achieved by the innovative technology is at least 1 g CO2/km for the Porsche S-segment vehicles referred to in the application.

(13)

Since the effects of the coasting function are not covered by the CO2 emissions type approval test referred to in Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) and Commission Regulation (EC) No 692/2008 (5), the Commission is satisfied that the Porsche coasting function is not covered by the standard test cycle.

(14)

The Commission finds that the verification report has been prepared by the TÜV Nord and that the report supports the findings set out in the application.

(15)

Therefore, the Commission finds that no objections should be raised as regards the approval of the innovative technology in question, provided the above specified conditions to ensure accountability and adjustments to the methodology are introduced.

(16)

For the purposes of determining the general eco-innovation code to be used in the relevant type-approval documents in accordance with Annexes I, VIII and IX to Directive 2007/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (6), the individual code to be used for the innovative technology approved through this Decision should be specified,

(a)

the coasting function cannot be deactivated,

(b)

where the function has been otherwise deactivated, that it is automatically activated immediately after the deactivation event.