The American Environmental Protection Agency has awarded to Horiba the contract to supply on-board test systems to check compliance with federal emissions standards.

The OBS-1000 on-board systems will measure emissions from diesel truck engines under normal driving conditions, thus allowing the EPA to rate classes of truck engines in terms of their compatibility with standards.

HGV fleet owners and operators in the Mid-Atlantic states are being asked to supply vehicles dating from and since 1999 for testing with the OBS-1000 by the Maryland Aberdeen Test Centre.

Fleets already known to be cooperating include the Washington suburban Sanitary Commission, Herr Foods, Delaware Department of Transportation and Roadway Express.

The OBS-1000 will monitor mass emissions and air-to-fuel ratio while vehicles are being driven. A GPS system installed in vehicles will record vehicle position and driving conditions.

The EPA hopes to use the information thus gathered to estimate the success of emission control systems and provide manufacturers with data on the performance of their products, with the ultimate goal of formulating strategies to improve air pollution control programmes.

As emissions regulations come into force, on-board testing is likely to become an increasingly important aspect of the EPA's work. The Agency has already arranged a deal with engine manufacturers and California ARB to develop in-use monitoring methods.