More emissions control, safety systems and electric cars: the changes the EU is preparing for the ITV

Taking a car for its ITV (vehicle inspection) is a routine that practically all vehicle owners must undergo sooner or later during the lifespan of their car or motorcycle. At ITVs, different aspects are evaluated to assess the real condition of a vehicle, in accordance with parameters set by European regulations, and the sticker that guarantees successful completion of this test is homologable across the 27 EU member states.The last major modification to ITV regulations was in 2014, despite the fact that the automotive world has changed considerably in the last twelve years. In this regard, the Council of the European Union is working this week to approve a package of modifications to the technical section that regulates pollutant gas emissions, noise pollution levels, the condition of safety and driving assistance systems (ADAS), and the condition of electric vehicle batteries, among others.Regarding the new system for measuring and detecting pollutant emissions, it is worth noting that the new protocol foresees more sensitive methods for detecting nitrogen oxide (NOx) levels and particles emitted by the exhaust pipe, and will allow for a more accurate assessment of the condition of the particle filter and the pollutant gas elimination systems of modern combustion cars, both diesel and gasoline. The new text also includes an optional remote sensing test that will allow for remote measurement of particle, gas, and sound emissions from the vehicle while it is in operation on public roads. However, this remote sensing possibility is still subject to the verdict of the EU Transport Commission.The rest of the novelties that the Council of the EU text wishes to include affect the revision of ADAS or assistance systems, formed by the set of sensors, radars, and cameras that modern cars have, but also by driving assistance systems such as lane keeping assist, recognition of involuntary lane change alerts, or cruise control, among others. Finally, the new protocol also aims to regulate the method for reviewing the condition of lithium batteries in electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid vehicles, to ensure their good condition and the safety of occupants and other road users.A new European visa

The text proposed by the Council of the EU includes for the first time the possibility of carrying out the ITV inspection in a EU country different from the country of origin. In a system where tests are homologated among all states, it makes sense that homologation certificates can be issued in countries other than the vehicle's country of origin, albeit with a temporary duration of six months, before the vehicle must undergo the definitive inspection at a station in its country of origin. The other front that the text proposal, which will be approved this week, seeks to regulate is the manipulation of odometers, through the creation of a database where workshops must record the kilometers traveled in each inspection to minimize the possibilities of fraud.Finally, it is worth noting that the modifications proposed by the Council of the European Union do not affect the periodicity of the inspection schedule, which will maintain the current intervals: four years for the first inspection from the registration of a new car or motorcycle, every two years from the fourth year, and in the case of cars, annually from ten years of the vehicle's age.