There has been growing discussion around the Government’s proposed changes to the way vehicle emissions and modifications are regulated in the UK.
Paramount Performance has been involved in this conversation for some time, including during the earlier proposals that became widely known as the “anti-tampering” legislation. Those plans raised serious concerns across the tuning, aftermarket, motorsport and classic-car sectors because of the potential impact on legitimate modification, repair and replacement parts.
The latest proposals are more considered and importantly recognise that vehicle modification and the use of aftermarket components should remain possible. However, there are still significant questions around how emissions compliance would be measured and enforced.
One of the main concerns is the relationship between any new emissions requirements and the existing MOT system.
The MOT is currently the statutory test motorists rely on to determine whether a vehicle meets the required roadworthiness and in-use emissions standards. If a vehicle passes its MOT, the owner can reasonably expect that it is compliant for road use.
Problems could arise if another emissions standard is introduced alongside the MOT, particularly if vehicles are expected to continue meeting the exact emissions performance associated with their original type approval.
Type approval testing takes place under controlled conditions. A vehicle that has been on the road for ten years will not necessarily reproduce the same results, even if it remains standard, properly maintained and unmodified.
This creates the possibility of a vehicle passing its MOT while potentially failing another emissions assessment that the owner has no practical way of checking beforehand.
Paramount Performance believes the solution should be to modernise the existing MOT system.
If particulate testing needs to improve, the test should be improved. If NOx measurement is required for modern vehicles, an appropriate and reliable procedure should be developed. Any legal emissions standard should have an accessible test that motorists and workshops can use.
There is also an important distinction between deliberately defeating emissions-control equipment and carrying out legitimate vehicle modifications while keeping the car safe, roadworthy and within an appropriate emissions standard.
The UK automotive aftermarket supports thousands of businesses, skilled jobs, engineers, workshops and manufacturers. Regulation therefore needs to protect air quality while allowing responsible modification, restoration and aftermarket engineering to continue.
The principle should be simple: one legal standard, one accessible test and one clear answer on whether a vehicle complies.
If the current MOT can no longer provide that certainty, then the priority should be to improve the MOT itself.