WHAT IF ALL EUROPEAN DIESEL CARS WERE DIRTY? đ
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A recent study, the first one since the 2015 Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal, revealed that even the latest models of European diesel cars severely harm the environment. According to the results, more than 4 000 vehicle models have nitrogen oxides (NOx). This exceeds the ceiling levels set by the European Union.
The rating system used by the EU, The Real Urban Emissions Initiative (TRUE), has a date set of 375 000 individual cars across the continent and divides all vehicles into groups based on emission standards. Vehicles that belong to the Euro 3, 4, and 5 diesel levels show âpoorâ markings for NOx levels; meaning that the vehicle produces more than 180 mg/km of NOx. Those include motorcycles as well as older model standard cars. More recent models of cars are classified under Euro 6 and, surprisingly, they also failed the emission standards. The majority of Euro 6 cars got the same âpoorâ marking and only a few got a âmoderateâ marking. In fact, no European diesel car has a âgoodâ rating.
Disagreements on interpretation
On the one hand, the International Council on Clean Transportation, the American non-profit organization at the source of this study, declared to the Financial Times that the results are âa striking confirmation of the worst fears about diesel carsâ. On the other hand, the European Automobile Manufacturersâ Association (ACEA) claimed the results were âmisleadingâ. They mainly argue that the study does not take into account the 2019 models; which presumably will adhere to future Euro 6d standards.
ACEA secretary general Erik Jonnaer says that âas all cars tested as part of this TRUE Initiative were pre-Euro 6d vehicles, the fact that they do not meet emissions requirements that only became mandatory after they were put on the market is not surprisingâ.
Greg Archer, from the NGO Transport and Environment, declared to The Guardian that the new rating âexposes the legacy of diesel gate; tens of millions of dirty diesel that are still on the roads producing the toxic smog we daily breathe. It identifies the worst performing models and regulators must act to require carmakers to clean these upâ.
Source: Popular Mechanics