CITA Recommendation no. 1 lists the items that should be inspected during periodic technical inspection of the vehicle, the method of inspection and the principal reasons for failure. Section 5 of CITA Rec. 1 covers axles, wheels, tyres and suspensions.
The purpose of the new CITA Recommendation no. 26 is to specify in greater detail the recommended test methods and equipment for assessing the condition and performance of the vehicle’s suspension as part of the periodic technical inspection.
A general assumption of periodic inspection is that new vehicles comply with legal requirements. The principal aim of periodic inspection is to test whether a vehicle has been properly maintained and is still roadworthy. This recommendation is based on the requirements for suspensions stated in European Union council directive no. 2014/45/EU on roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers.
The document has been developed by the CITA Suspension Task Force.
It describes 3 stages:
· Stage I: Describes suspension testing in accordance with the current EU directive 2014/45/EU.
· Stage II: Describes the advanced current or near-future technology. Stage II describes what can be done in addition to Stage I.
· Stage III: Description of possible future tests. Stage III describes what can be done besides stages I and II.
The CITA community celebrates the appointment of Mr. Aitor Retes Aguado as the new Secretary General. The appointment was officially approved by the CITA Bureau Permanent on 26 September 2023.
His incredible journey, spanning more than 8 years within CITA Bureau Permanent, marked by perseverance, dedication, and strategic brilliance, has culminated in this well-deserved recognition.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes as he takes on this new role.
Yesterday in Brussels, a significant gathering of PTI experts, governmental officials, and industry stakeholders convened for a hybrid-conference entitled “Vehicle Inspection and Society: Beyond Technology.”
Jointly hosted by CITA and the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, this event explored the multifaceted dimensions of vehicle inspection, pushing beyond just the technological considerations to unravel its societal and environmental significance. In fact, this collaboration demonstrated the growing importance of vehicle inspections, not only in terms of technological advancements but also its broader implications for society.
Key players from various facets of the industry graced the event, including Mr. Gerhard MÜLLER, the CITA President, and María José MUÑOZ MARTÍNEZ, the Director General for Industry and SME Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism from Spain.
The event was a success thanks also to the active participation of Guillermo MAGAZ PILAR, Managing Director of AECA-ITV; Sergio OLIETE JOSA, Head of Unit, Transport & Urban Development from DG INTPA - EU Commission; Ricardo SUÁREZ BERTOA, Scientific Officer at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) - EU Commission; Victor SALVACHÚA BARCELÓ, Vice President - New Technologies Development from APPLUS+; Macarena FERNÁNDEZ RIVERA, Technical and Operational Director from VEIASA; and Eugenio FERNÁNDEZ CÁCERES, Inspection Site Manager from ITEVELESA.
Key takeaways from the Conference were safety, environmental responsibility, economic implications, and global standards. The primary objective remains the safety of citizens. As vehicles continue to integrate cutting-edge technologies, the process of vehicle inspection has become ever more complex. Efficient vehicle inspection ensures fewer road mishaps, and plays a pivotal role in environmental conservation, ensuring vehicles emit within permissible limits. With a growing need for harmonized vehicle inspection standards across countries to facilitate international transportation, a well-structured inspection mechanism indirectly boosts the economy by ensuring efficient vehicle operations.
The “Vehicle Inspection and Society: Beyond Technology” conference reiterated the importance of seeing vehicle inspections not as an isolated technical procedure but as a process deeply ingrained in societal, economic, and environmental matrices.
The joint effort by CITA and the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU marks a commendable step towards a holistic approach to vehicle inspections, emphasizing its ripple effects across various sectors of society. The Brussels conference not only enriched the discourse around vehicle inspection and its societal ramifications but also paved the way for global collaborations. By sharing knowledge, research, and best practices, stakeholders can drive forward an agenda that prioritizes road safety and environmental health, all while leveraging cutting-edge technology.
UNIMETAL specializes in manufacturing vehicle inspection equipment and developing IT/IoT systems for PTI centers. Their integrated automatic vehicle test lanes and mobile inspection solutions are used in more than 30 countries around the world. In engineering and development, they place a strong emphasis on the technological excellence and innovation as well as efficiency of their products in everyday use. UNIMETAL is eager to contribute to the development of global standards and best practices in vehicle safety, environmental protection and road security.
Since 2009, this annual event of the technology leaders from many of the world’s leading automotive and mobility brands, has continued to be a highly relevant meeting within the global community, delivering thought leadership and engagement at the leadership level within the member led environment of FISITA.
Several figures from the global mobility industry covered a range of topics, from global economic output in Asia, Europe and the Americas from senior economists in those regions, to the challenges facing mobility technology companies.
Among these figures was the President of CITA, Gerhard Müller, who spoke to the audience about the modern periodic emission test for diesel vehicles.
He explained that although modern combustion engine vehicles are becoming cleaner and more economical thanks to complex exhaust gas after-treatment systems, these must function throughout their entire life cycle. Otherwise, pollutants can increase by a factor of well over one hundred. The detection of manipulated or defective systems is therefore of great importance. For this purpose, periodic testing of exhaust emissions, which is mandatory for all vehicles, is an appropriate means, since vehicles with excessively high emissions of harmful substances are identified and must be repaired.
He introduced the new particle number measurement as a measurement method for diesel vehicles with particle traps. This very efficient and simple method for reliably detecting manipulated or defective particulate filters and has recently been successfully introduced in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
This new periodic emissions test provides a significant contribution to improving air quality, especially in urban areas, he said in conclusion.
This document is the Manual to accompany the Assessment of Vehicle Inspection Systems (AVIS) Tool. It is provided to guide users of the AVIS tools in how to use it, what data is required, and as an explanation of why and how the AVIS Tool uses that data to make an assessment of the inspection systems in a country.
The AVIS Tool has been developed by CITA using the extensive experience and expertise of its membership, which includes various types of inspection systems implemented in many countries and regions around the world. This international outlook has enabled the development of an impartial assessment tool for vehicle inspection systems, that can be used in any country.
Initially, the tool was developed as a concept for Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), to assess their inspection systems and provide guidance on which areas were in need of development, so that efforts to improve them could be prioritised. At this time, the tool is designed to be used by inspection authorities around the globe in their own in-country assessments, or by a CITA expert/team for an independent CITA-authorised assessment. It can be used as a tool for the setup of new inspection systems, for the continuous improvement of existing systems, or at the start and end of a project to demonstrate the progress made.
The goal of the AVIS tool is to provide a transparent procedure to assess the vehicle inspection system(s) of a country, based on criteria that are made publicly available. This involves the evaluation of both the theoretical/legislated framework, and its application/implementation. The criteria used are primarily based upon recognised international regulations, standards, recommendations and studies; and are refined using the extensive experience of the CITA membership.
CITA hopes that the AVIS will be used extensively around the globe to make improvements to the safe-running and operation of vehicles.
Last year, the European Commission proposed a new Euro 7 pollutant emissions standard for new vehicle types, after years of collecting evidence and data.
The European Union needs a timely and well-targeted Euro 7 legislation for cars, vans, trucks and buses to improve the health and wellbeing of its citizens and urban population in particular. Cities cannot be left alone to improve air quality with the limited resources available to them. Euro 7 will make it easier for national and local administrations to deliver on ambient air quality commitments currently being upgraded by EU legislation. While the shift to electromobility is underway, 100 million new vehicles with an internal combustion engine are expected to be sold in the EU in the next decade and will remain on European roads for years to come. Electrification and continued improvement of conventional engines are complementary approaches and should work hand in hand to achieve significant pollution reductions.
Europe needs more ambitious standards and must maintain its global leadership alongside the US and China, which are also adopting more ambitious pollutant regulations. European vehicle manufacturers will need to invest in these other regions in adopting advanced technologies anyway to remain competitive in the global market.
New Euro 7 rules need to be adopted within the current legislative period, to ensure that citizens living in cities can continue to benefit as soon as possible from improving air quality facilitated by reduced vehicle pollution. Emission control systems meeting the Commission proposal requirements are already mature and available, as shown by data collected during robust road testing by various technology providers. The timely availability of mature affordable emission control systems meeting the requirements of the Commission proposal has been demonstrated by data collected during robust road testing by various technology providers. To facilitate, implementing and delegated acts should be swiftly adopted after the legislation, with the most important parameters already developed in parallel in the coming months. This early development of the regulatory detail is critical to a successful implementation, providing industry with confidence to invest, and enabling the path to cleaner road transport and improved public health.
Further, Euro 7 emission testing procedures need enhancement compared to Euro 6/VI, in combination with the ambitious limit values and lifetime requirements proposed by the Commission, to reflect driving conditions and the actual environmental impact of different vehicle types in the real world. The Commission’s proposed new testing rules will, with certain improvements to ensure representativeness of on-road testing, strike a good balance between what is necessary and what is feasible. They will ensure that emissions from trucks especially will be controlled under true real-world conditions.
As the necessary technologies are already known, the most accurate cost analysis of Euro 7 demonstrates that the price to pay for industry and consumers is moderate. Euro 7 vehicles will remain affordable, while according to the Commission’s own calculations, every euro invested in Euro 7 technology will return five times more benefits in terms of health and environment protection costs.
Now that discussions on the legislative proposal are at a decisive point, the industrial sectors represented by the signatories below call on EU institutions to take an ambitious and future-oriented position on Euro 7 including for exhaust and non-exhaust, i.e. evaporative and refuelling systems, brakes and tyres; as well as for reagent quality requirements and the durability of batteries, without undue delay.
Every year, over six million vehicles in Europe reach the end of their life. Inadequate handling of vehicles at the end of their life results in lost value and pollution.
On June 29, 2023 in the city of Bojnice in Slovakia, a seminar for local PTI center owners was organized by our member TESTEK. Entitled 'The Future of PTI', the event was attended by over 70 participants.
In Germany, the particle number measurement for diesel vehicles was announced in 2017 as part of an amendment to the guideline for carrying out the examination of vehicle exhaust gases (AU guideline).
