Tech

Technical inspection: particle emissions from brakes will be taken into account from 2023

If the compulsory technical control of motorcycles has been abandoned in France, the government still has projects concerning our cars. From January 1, 2023 in particular, brake particle emissions will be assessed by professionals. In case of irregularities, a counter-visit may be ordered.

Particle technical control
Credits: Unsplash

As you may know, the compulsory technical inspection of motorcycles has been abandoned in France, much to the relief of the angry Federation of Bikers. Nevertheless, and few drivers know it, the technical control of our cars will be reinforced again from January 1, 2023.

On that date, other audit criteria will be added to the long list already in effect. In addition to measuring the CO2 emissions from your vehicle’s exhaust gases, mechanics will also have to assess particulate emissions from brake pads. Indeed, during braking, the friction of the pads against the discs creates fine particles that are dangerous for health and for the environment.

Read also: Electric cars emit as many particles as others, it’s proven

Fine particles will also be measured during the technical inspection

These include particles with a diameter of less than 10 μm and 2.5 μm which come from the abrasion of the brakes, but also from the wear of tires and road surfaces. (https://elitetrainingcenter.net/) From now on, fine particle emissions from brake pads and tires will be measured every two years, wheel by wheel. To do this, professionals in the sector will gradually be equipped with measuring devices capable of carrying out checks to the nearest tenth of a micrometer.

The vehicle will be installed on a rolling bench, where continuous braking will be carried out at different speeds (between 160 and 0 km/h). Unfortunately and to the great displeasure of mechanics, the exact scale has not yet been specified by the French authorities. In other words, it is impossible to know at what threshold a counter-visit will have to be pronounced. There is also the problem of cars with drum brakes, which have the particularity of trapping and accumulating particles inside. This makes accurate measurement impossible.

Unsurprisingly, professionals in the sector do not really welcome these new criteria. In particular, they fear thatat least one car in ten is subject to a counter-visit because of too high particulate emissions. As a reminder, an OECD report published in December 2020 assured that car tires and brakes will pollute more than exhaust gases by 2035.

Source : AutoPlus

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