L-vehicles Emissions and Noise mitigation Solutions
LENS is a project aiming at assisting enforcement authorities, cities and regulators to decrease the contribution of L-category vehicles (LVs: mopeds, motorcycles, tricycles and quadri-mobiles) to noise and air-pollution. This is achieved by developing and promoting interventions and best practices that can address the noise and pollutant emissions of current fleet vehicles and by making suggestions for regulations to improve the performance of future vehicles. Interventions for the current fleet range from vehicle measures (speed limiters, digital sealing) to infrastructure (traffic calming and restrictions), tampering detection and anti-tampering enforcement and smart apps that guide riders to adopt more environmentally and less noisy riding slides.
Suggestions for regulations include the control of emissions under real driving conditions and the regulatory enforcement of anti-tampering measures. The expected impact of these measures will be demonstrated by simulations in three actual case studies in locations which are negatively impacted by the operation of LVs. An extensive test programme of noise and pollutant emissions on more than 150 LVs is proposed - including on-board, on-track and in-lab tests – to collect the necessary performance data. Portable sensor-based and mini-analyser measurement systems are being developed in the project to characterise gaseous and particulate pollutants, including nanoparticles down to 2.5 nm under actual operation conditions. A new technique based on the remote detection of gaseous emissions, nanoparticles and sound levels of singular vehicles on the road is being proposed with the aim to detect worst noise and emission LVs, including tampered ones. The technique will be deployed in 3 real-world campaigns with the intention to sample more than 3,000 LVs on the road. A smart app will be enhanced with project findings to assist riders adopt a more city-friendly riding style in terms of noise and emissions.
