Mission

The National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL) located in Ann Arbor, Michigan utilizes highly-trained staff and specialized equipment to accurately measure emissions from a wide range of vehicles and engines. NVFEL provides high-quality research and testing to develop emissions standards and ensure compliance with them in order to protect people and the environment from harmful transportation-source pollutants. NVFEL performs the following functions to meet these goals:

• Testing new and used cars, light trucks and heavy-duty engines to ensure they meet emissions standards when they are new and throughout their useful lifetime.
• Researching and testing to inform new and updated emissions standards for air pollutants.
• Developing and implementing accurate test methods for measuring emissions from vehicles and engines.
• Assessing promising emissions reduction technologies. 

Data Quality

NVFEL adheres to top-tier standards for test data accuracy and quality. Reflecting this value, in 2019, NVFEL received ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation, which is the gold standard for data quality in testing laboratories of this kind. Scope of Accreditation (PDF) (6 pp, 224 K, March 2020, About PDF). Exit

Safety, Health, and Environmental Management

The lab implements rigorous operations and management procedures for safety, health, and environmental management. We are ISO 14001:2015 certified, reflecting our commitment and initiatives to foster environmental stewardship while ensuring the health and safety of our employees and visitors. NVFEL obtained certification for its Safety, Health, and Environmental Management programs in 2006, and today is one of just over 6,000 entities certified to ISO 14001 in the U.S.

Certificate of Registration and NVFEL's commitment to its environmental policy.

Learn more about the location and staff at the NVFEL laboratory.