35 million “dirty diesels” still on Europe’s roads

There are 35 million diesel cars and vans driving on Europe’s roads today, six million more than in 2015.

Research by Transport & Environment shows the Euro 5 and 6 diesel models which were sold between 2011 and 2016 in Europe exceeded the nitrogen oxide limits by at least three times.

This is following scandals where carmakers had cheated on emission tests.

According to the research, these excess NOx emissions alone caused nearly 7,000 early deaths in Europe in 2015.

The report states that “unlike the US, dirty diesels on our roads keep growing because no national government in Europe has penalised or fined any carmaker nor taken grossly polluting diesels off the road.”

Julia Poliscanova, clean vehicles and air quality manager at Transport & Environment (T&E), said: “There has been no progress in Europe over a year after dieselgate: carmakers cheats continue to kill people.

“The air pollution crisis in European cities is mainly caused by the unwillingness or inability of national authorities to act to recall and repair cars unfit for the road or even stop more rolling off production lines.

“It’s high time for lawmakers to put citizens’ health above the purse of carmakers.”

The top car manufacturing countries in Europe have the highest numbers of grossly polluting diesels.

The number in Germany grew to 6.5 million in 2016 and 5.3 million are driving on UK roads. Italy has almost 4 million and Spain counts 2.4 million.

The report concludes that on 29 May, ministers of the 28 member states will meet in Brussels to agree on a common position on how to reform the system abused by carmakers.

Both the European Commission and European Parliament want a “better, independent system to prevent future dieselgates”.

But the German government is the only one to be actively blocking the reform as it opposes new EU-wide checks and oversight of car approvals.