Drive-by Emissions and the Latest Technologies
By David J. House
When Oregon law first linked air quality protection to vehicle registration, many Oregon drivers envisioned red tape instead of stickers for their plates. The simple act of renewing a vehicle registration turned into a two-step process with agencies in different locations, not to mention different missions, different procedures and different computer systems.
Yet after years in partnership, Oregon DMV and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality have turned that red tape into a nearly transparent, seamless process. Vehicle emissions inspection and registration renewal is as close to a one-stop experience as it can get. And a no-stop service might not be far off.
“About 60 percent of customers whose vehicles pass the emissions test renew their registrations while at the DEQ testing stations,” former DMV Administrator Lorna Youngs said. “This is not just a convenience for customers in the DEQ areas. It also reduces the lines at DMV field offices. It’s a win-win for Oregonians, not just as customers of DEQ and DMV but also as taxpayers.”
The DMV-DEQ partnership is on the verge of taking yet another technological leap with self-service inspection and registration renewal.
“In the past couple of years, technology has really advanced for vehicle emissions testing,” said Jim Roys, interim manager of the Vehicle Inspection Program at DEQ. “We’re at a point where we can use today’s technology to enhance and improve our customers’ testing experience. Providing greater convenience for our customers has always been our mission, so we are really excited to put those tools to use.”
Vehicle Inspection Program
Oregon DEQ manages two Vehicle Inspection Program regions, where residents’ vehicles must pass an emissions inspection at a DEQ testing station before the owner can renew registration with DMV. The Portland-area VIP started in 1975, and the Rogue Valley VIP in the Medford area began in 1986.
Inspecting exhaust emission identifies vehicles that produce more air pollution than those with properly running engines and emission-control equipment. About one in 10 vehicles fail. On average, vehicles that fail are producing four times as much pollution as those that pass, according to DEQ data.
Vehicle inspection has significantly reduced pollution. In the early 1970s, Portland’s air violated national health standards for carbon monoxide one out of every three days. However, thanks to the Portland VIP and other pollution-control measures, the Portland area has not exceeded carbon monoxide limits since 1985. Likewise, the Medford area improved from 35 violations a year for carbon monoxide levels to zero since 1991.
The program has reduced other harmful vehicle emissions, such as nitrous oxide and volatile organic compounds. These are the ingredients for smog. During warm-weather inversions, these compounds build up and can aggravate lung conditions such as asthma, decrease lung capacity and impair the immune system.
DMV-DEQ Partnership
When Oregon began requiring vehicles in the Portland area to pass an emissions test in order to qualify for registration renewal, it created a partnership between DMV and DEQ.
“Oregonians value their natural environment and their transportation system,” Youngs said. “As state agencies, we owe it to customers to make it easy for them to support and preserve both these quality-of-life government services.”
Both DMV and DEQ have embraced technology to make the testing and renewal procedures more convenient for the customer and more efficient for the agencies.
Instead of testing exhaust, DEQ now can evaluate emissions by using the vehicle’s own engine diagnostics. Vehicles manufactured since 1996 that have an on-board diagnostics port can be tested electronically. Through the vehicle’s OBD port, the engine itself can reveal whether it’s running properly and that emission control devices are performing correctly.
Meanwhile, DMV in 2004 expanded options for vehicle registration renewal to the Internet. Most vehicles—including most in the VIP areas since July 2007—can be renewed online at DMV with a credit or debit card. New stickers typically are delivered by mail in two or three days.
Self-Service Is Next
DEQ is taking the next step in customer convenience with the development of a self-service lane at testing stations using vehicles’ OBD systems.
“The concept is similar to what you see in some grocery stores that feature the self-checkout systems,” said Russ Schell, the VIP construction project manager at DEQ. “Obviously, the emissions test will be more involved than buying groceries, but the basic premise is similar. Instead of waiting in a line for service from a DEQ inspector, customers will have the option to perform the test themselves.”
DEQ has constructed a prototype self-service testing lane at the Sunset testing station in Hillsboro, a suburb in the west side of the Portland metropolitan area. The prototype lane includes an automated ATM-like kiosk that guides customers through the emissions testing process. Customers have the option to pay for the test with a credit or debit card. DEQ is working with Systech Solutions Inc., an independent contractor that specializes in designing software and hardware for automated kiosks.
DEQ and DMV are exploring options that will allow customers to also purchase renewal tags after the self-test. Until that service is developed, customers will be able to take the self-test and then renew registration online with DMV.
The self-test is limited to 1996 and newer vehicles that feature an OBD interface. Like an auto mechanic’s engine code reader, the DEQ self-test uses a plug-in scan tool that checks data about the vehicle’s emission control system performance.
The system will need to be user-friendly for the average person, but it is not intended to replace traditional inspection lanes. Self-service testing might not appeal to everyone, DEQ engineer Jerry Coffer said.
“It’s like anything new or technological,” Coffer said. “I suspect that some people will really take to it and that others will avoid it like the plague, so don’t look for this option to completely replace our inspector lanes. That’s not the purpose. It’s just another option for the do-it-yourselfer that increases our ability to provide convenient service.”
The self-test system has anti-fraud measures and vandalism protections built into the design of the system, according to VIP engineers.
“The potential for fraud and vandalism will have to be all but eliminated to make this system viable,” information systems specialist Jorge Gonzalez said. “Initially, we plan to launch a prototype lane that will be staffed, so we won’t be able to go 24/7 right away. But this will give us a chance to work out the kinks and perfect the system.”
No-Stop Service, Not So Far-Fetched
DEQ’s VIP program is also developing remote OBD and broadcast OBD systems that will allow customers to test their vehicles by using a small device attached to their engine’s on-board computer.
For a small fee the device can be purchased and used on any 1996 or newer vehicle. There are two options. If a customer chooses broadcast OBD they connect the device to their on-board computer and simply leave it in place. The device features a small antenna that sends a signal to a VIP receiver. Only emissions system data is sent to DEQ. Should a problem with the emissions control devices be detected by the on-board computer, DEQ will alert customers and provide the “trouble codes” that mechanics use to diagnose problems. When it’s time to renew registration and test the vehicle, those customers will be able to complete transactions online.
The second option, remote OBD testing, involves plugging in a small device similar to the broadcast OBD unit. However, this device is attached to a USB cord that can be plugged into a personal computer. Customers plug the device into the OBD port, obtain a reading, unplug the device and then connect it to their home computer. Customers then can transmit their data directly to DEQ. Online payment for the emissions test will be available and customers can renew with DMV online.
During the next several months, a core group of VIP project managers and engineers will be hard at work making self-service testing and remote OBD and broadcast OBD testing widely available to the public. The project requires software development and refinement, facility layout and design, determining and addressing potential legal and liability issues, coordination with DMV and promotion of the new service.
“It’s really innovative, and Oregon will be the first state in the nation with a vehicle inspection program—either public or privately operated—that offers this type of service,” Schell said.
For more information, visit www.OregonDMV.com and www.Oregon.gov/DEQ.