Data

A core element of the TRUE project is the ongoing collection of data on real-world emissions from in-use vehicles in cities.

Data will come from two main sources: test results supplied by third parties, such as independent testing facilities or government laboratories, and vehicle tests commissioned by or carried out by the TRUE initiative itself. Emission measurements will be made using two different but complementary techniques: portable emissions measurement system (PEMS) testing and remote sensing.

The TRUE project has already compiled a large database of real-world emissions data from third-party institutions.

Two of the most important datasets incorporated thus far are PEMS testing data on over 200 vehicles collected and published by the governments of France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, and a database of more than 700,000 measurements made via remote sensing as part of the CONOX project, and supplied by IVL. The CONOX project is being conducted under the umbrella of the European research network on mobile source emissions — ERMES, http://www.ermes-group.eu/web/ — which involves a dedicated working group on remote sensing. Various remote sensing research groups in Europe are presently working together to pool and analyze remote sensing data collected at various locations across Europe during the last 5–10 years. In addition to supporting the TRUE project, the CONOX remote sensing database will be a new cornerstone within ERMES, complementing the existing ERMES database of chassis dynamometer and PEMS data.

Data collection commissioned by the TRUE initiative itself will commence with remote sensing measurements in London and Paris in late 2017 and early 2018. These initial remote-sensing measurements will eventually yield a database of over 200,000 vehicle records. Data collection will continue as the TRUE initiative grows and expands its network of data providers.