Overview
Emissions standards for vehicles have managed to introduce state-of-the art emissions controls that have brought significant reductions in the actual emissions levels. However, there is increasing clear evidence of illegal manipulation of emission control systems by vehicle owners and widespread usage is observed in the market. In general, it is almost always the vehicle’s owner or operator that tampers the EPS for economic advantages; either to reduce fuel or urea costs, or to avoid costly repairs of aged or malfunctioning equipment.
Traditional OBD systems are designed to inform users about malfunctions of systems and components and notify the users of the repair needs and cannot prevent tampering. The primary target of DIAS is thus to harden vehicle environmental protection systems (EPS) against such tampering. This means that any changes in EPS hardware, software that degrade the performance of the system will be prevented or detected.
DIAS will develop innovative protection and security measures to increase the level of prevention. In case detected, information about the tampering attempt is available and is used to introduce countermeasures e.g. the activation of the driver inducement systems. DIAS brings together a highly qualified interdisciplinary team that starts with OBD and takes a two-step approach that involves implementing first measures to take early action against these activities, and a second cloud-based step that prepares methodologies and means for dealing with tampering attempts in the future that are currently unknown.
Additionally, DIAS will take into account that effective upcoming new tampering countermeasures can also be applied on vehicles already in the field to have an even stronger impact on preventing unnecessary environmental pollution. Finally, DIAS takes advantage of future vehicle connectivity, both as opportunity and challenge, since these systems are intended to operate throughout Europe and even on a global scale.