Progress on emissions testing for vehicles across the US has taken another step forward following the news that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has agreed a five-year deal with a technology company to begin automotive testing.

A company named Sensors has been selected to enter into a five-year licensing agreement with EPA to deploy patented technology which combines independent exhaust flow measurement with gaseous emissions measurements.

The agreement marks a significant development in the American emissions testing program, with the company agreeing to determine mass emissions from both gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles.

Crucially the new license of the EPA technology will permit the measurement of exhaust flow on vehicles not equipped with electronic control module (ECM), allowing investigators to build up a wider picture of how successful emission reduction is proving.

According to the EPA, an independent measurement of exhaust gas flow can provide valuable information for regulatory agencies, as well as for development engineers who need to validate information provided by the vehicle's ECM.

Sensors says it has already begun development of a new instrument that would meet EPA requirements.