The Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal have caused quite a stir among auto companies, as debates continue over the inadequacy of standard lab tests and the actual percentage of emissions that exhausts produce while on the road. However, German researchers could already have the solution to forecast true values for these emissions tests.

For two years, the research team of Heidelberg's Institute of Environmental Physics have been tracking diesel-powered cars in some small towns in Germany to check the emissions of these vehicles while in use on the road, according to BBC. The group also followed buses to get a whiff of their tailpipe gases and compare the data gathered, with surprising results.

At a recent European Geosciences Union assembly, Dr. Denis Pöhler of the Heidelberg team explained how it was done. He said that the car they used for the experiment had been attached with a small device which could suck in air from the car front, take the puff coming out of the vehicle, and eventually punched in some values.

LatestNews24 also reported that the group is able to get the values needed using GPS. The location of the tailed car would be identified and a camera determines the vehicle type, whether it's a car, motorcycle, or bus, and its manufacturer. Pöhler said that they regard significant interest in nitrous oxides, which result from combustion and considered a serious health risk.

The group also stated that newer models have been found to have cleaner plumes than those of older make, but it wasn't always the case. Their research also discovered that just about a relatively small number of automobile brands are to blame on the high fraction of full emissions, and "might have a huge impact on air high quality", added Pöhler. And not all of them were VWs.

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