Photo: Transport & Environment
Volkswagen’s Dieselgate scandal, which erupted one year ago, has raised awareness about real world driving emissions. The European Transport & Environment Commission has made a report that compares real world driving emissions to the Euro 6 standard for NOx (nitrogen oxide) emissions for diesel engines.
The result was slightly surprising, as Volkswagen seems to sell the cleanest Euro 6 diesels available in Europe. Even if they have the lowest NOx emissions average out of 230 diesel car models analyzed, the engines from Volkswagen still had twice as many nitrogen oxide emissions in real-world driving than the standard would allow.
Meanwhile, Fiat and Suzuki’s diesel engines had an average NOx emission level that was 15 times higher than the legal limit when compared on the road.
Renault-Nissan was the second-worst offender, while Opel-Vauxhall was third. Back in the lowest on the road emissions, Seat and Skoda ranked just after Volkswagen, but ahead of Audi, BMW-MINI, and Mazda.
The same Commission estimates that 29 million diesel-engined cars and vans are on Europe’s roads, and all of them are classified as “dirty,” when emissions are concerned. According to Transport & Environment, only one in four diesel vehicles registered in the last five years managed to be around three times over the relevant limit for nitrogen oxide emissions.
French roads have the largest number of “dirty” diesels, which 5.5 million estimated units, followed closely by Germany with 5.3 million. The United Kingdom comes in third with 4.3 million, while Italy is fourth with 3.1 million.
Spain and Belgium fared better, as both have less than two million “dirty” diesels on their roads, according to estimates made by Transport & Environment.
It is relevant to note that these “dirty diesels” are cars with Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel engines, but their NOx emission levels in real-life driving were significantly exceeding the maximum allowed limit according to current legislation.
Greg Archer, a representative of Transport & Environment, stated that Europe needs an organization that will stop European countries from protecting their national companies with homologations, and to allow the consumers of the single market to be protected from these vehicles.
Meanwhile, Fiat and Suzuki’s diesel engines had an average NOx emission level that was 15 times higher than the legal limit when compared on the road.
Renault-Nissan was the second-worst offender, while Opel-Vauxhall was third. Back in the lowest on the road emissions, Seat and Skoda ranked just after Volkswagen, but ahead of Audi, BMW-MINI, and Mazda.
The same Commission estimates that 29 million diesel-engined cars and vans are on Europe’s roads, and all of them are classified as “dirty,” when emissions are concerned. According to Transport & Environment, only one in four diesel vehicles registered in the last five years managed to be around three times over the relevant limit for nitrogen oxide emissions.
French roads have the largest number of “dirty” diesels, which 5.5 million estimated units, followed closely by Germany with 5.3 million. The United Kingdom comes in third with 4.3 million, while Italy is fourth with 3.1 million.
Spain and Belgium fared better, as both have less than two million “dirty” diesels on their roads, according to estimates made by Transport & Environment.
It is relevant to note that these “dirty diesels” are cars with Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel engines, but their NOx emission levels in real-life driving were significantly exceeding the maximum allowed limit according to current legislation.
Greg Archer, a representative of Transport & Environment, stated that Europe needs an organization that will stop European countries from protecting their national companies with homologations, and to allow the consumers of the single market to be protected from these vehicles.
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