One Result of Europe’s Tougher Emission Tests: Larger Engines

Tightening emission tests in Europe are pushing carmakers into larger—not smaller—engines, Reuters reports.

General Motors, Renault and Volkswagen all will discontinue their smallest engines over the next three years, sources tell the news service. The reason: Tiny engines perform well in current European emission tests but not in the real-world evaluations that will be phased in over the next several years.

To meet carbon dioxide emission standards, carmakers in Europe have been moving to smaller turbocharged engines, including 3-cylinder powerplants that displace less than 1 liter. But recent tests show that emissions of nitrogen oxides, CO₂ and particulates soar when the little engines operate above the sedate load levels imposed by regulatory test cycles.

“It becomes apparent that a small engine is not an advantage,” Mercedes-Benz research chief Thomas Weber tells Reuters. Analysts predict an end in Europe to diesel engines smaller than 1.5 liters and gasoline engines smaller than 1.2 liters.

But enlarging their smallest engines 10%-25% will make it tougher for carmakers to meet tightening CO₂ goals. That, analysts opine, is why carmakers are rushing to add hybrid and all-electric models.