According to Emissions Analytics, only seven Euro 6 models managed to meet emissions standards in a test that included a whooping 250 models in standardized road conditions.
Surprisingly, most of the cars that aced the tests were Volkswagen Group vehicles, but out of the previously mentioned 250 cars, just one of 201 Euro 5 diesels (EU standard from 2009) managed not to exceed the limit.
The car in question was a Skoda Octavia (a rare bright spot), that rose above most of the Euro5s – of which over a quarter pumped out at least five times the official limit.
Also, where seven Euro 6 models did perform as they should have, there were instances where cars such as the Audi A8 and the Fiat 500X were found to emit more than 12 times the official limit, while the BMW X3, Volvo S60 and Vauxhall Zafira limited themselves to “just” more than six times the on-road limit.
All of EA’s tests were performed on the same route in south-west London, with the same drivers, at the same time of day and with the same load weight in the vehicles. All tests were performed strictly when certain weather factors such as temperature, rain and wind were within acceptable parameters.
But as Nick Molden, the CEO of EA, pointed out in an interview with The Guardian, “diesels can be clean” – which is proven by the fact that some diesel models are indeed able to pass emissions tests, even if we’re talking about a very small minority.
The main issue is of course safety, and as Sir Malcom Green, a professor of respiratory medicine points out “this is a massive failure of public trust by these companies.”
“It is well established that current levels of pollution are shortening people’s lives, of a population basis. This is a massive and deliberate deceit. It’s appalling behavior by the car manufacturers involved.”
“People with asthma need accurate information about asthma triggers, including air pollution, to help them manage their condition,” added Dan Murphy, head of external affairs for Asthma UK.
