OBJECTIVES

The primary target of DIAS is to harden vehicle environmental protection systems (EPS) against tampering. This means that any changes in hardware or software that degrade the performance of the EPS will be prevented or detected. In the case of detection the tampering information becomes available and is used to introduce countermeasures such as the activation of the driver inducement system.

In general, it is nearly always the vehicle’s user or operator tampering the EPS for economic advantages; either to reduce fuel or urea costs, or to avoid costly repairs of aged or malfunctioning equipment. It is now clear that supplying tampering devices or approaches has become a huge business that appears to have widespread usage that traditional OBD systems cannot prevent since they were designed and developed to inform users about system malfunctions and components and to enable the workshop to repair.

DIAS takes a two-step approach to tampering. The first step involves implementing measures that take early action against these activities, and a second step prepares methodologies for dealing with tampering attempts in the future that are currently unknown. Thus, it takes into account that in case of upcoming new tampering, effective countermeasures can also be applied on vehicles already in the field to prevent the environment from pollution. These systems are intended to operate throughout Europe and even on a global scale and will take advantage from future connectivity that also represents, at the same time, a challenge for the systems. This overall target is broken down into four main objectives as follows:

I. “Market” analysis and assessment of the operation of representative tampering systems and of their effect on the performance of existing on-board emission monitoring and emission control systems over real-world and laboratory testing.

II. Detection methods and counter-measures are identified and implemented (in vehicles.)

III. Testing and demonstration of the success of measures.

IV. Setup of guidelines and recommendations for future legislation for the introduction of future safe monitoring systems.