Diesel car manufacturers ‘more polluting than VW’

All major diesel car manufacturers are allegedly selling worse polluting cars than Volkswagen (VW), one year on from the Dieselgate emissions scandal. A new study by non-profit clean transport campaign […]

All major diesel car manufacturers are allegedly selling worse polluting cars than Volkswagen (VW), one year on from the Dieselgate emissions scandal.

A new study by non-profit clean transport campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) suggests VW is currently selling the least polluting diesel vehicles in the Euro 6 category, i.e. cars sold after after September 2014. However, it claims  VW does have the most polluting Euro 5 vehicles on the road, i.e sold between 2011 and 2015.

The report, which analysed data from around 230 diesel car models, found not one brand complied with Euro 6 diesel pollution limits in real-world driving tests.

It alleges Fiat and Suzuki diesel cars pollute, on average, 15 times more than the legal Nitrogen Oxide limit.

Renault and Nissan vehicles allegedly exceed the limit by more than 14 times, Vauxhall by 10 times and Volkswagen cars double the Euro 6 standard.

Greg Archer, Clean Vehicles Director at T&E, said: “The true scandal of Dieselgate in Europe is national regulators turning a blind eye to the glaring evidence of test cheating with the sole purpose of protecting their national carmakers or their own business. This is killing tens of thousands of people annually.”

Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), added: “Recent testing by various governments in response to concerns about emission performance have consistently shown the tested vehicles to be legal. The differences between official laboratory tests and those performed in the ‘real world’ are well known and industry acknowledges the need for fundamental reform.”

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