The war on diesel continues: some German cities are considering banning the oldest models

The war on diesel is a reality, one that has spread worldwide over the last few months.

Now German authorities are making their move, having decided to start the procedures to ban the circulation of the oldest diesel vehicles in some cities across the country.

Personal mobility based on fossil fuels has become one of the hot-button issues in any debate involving pollution. Clearly this “solution” is temporary: sooner or later -sooner rather than later- these resources will run out.

Although technology has advanced remarkably over the years, the polluting emissions from combustion engines remain a pressing problem. So much so that Germany’s Environment Minister Jochen Flasbarth has announced that the administration will begin the process in the coming weeks to pass an ordinance that will allow municipalities to restrict the circulation of the oldest diesel vehicles.

In recent years, annual car sales in Germany have hovered around 3 million units. Of those 3 million, roughly 50% are powered by diesel engines. That is a great many engines emitting polluting particles and gases that are highly harmful to the atmosphere.

50% of the vehicles sold in Germany feature diesel powertrains

That is why German authorities have set out to restrict the circulation of vehicles equipped with the oldest diesel engines, those that emit very high levels of substances such as NOx, which are highly harmful both to the environment and to citizens’ health.

The reactions have not been long in coming. One of the first responses to the administration’s move came from the German association of vehicle manufacturers, which speaks of an almost economic “suicide” due to the restrictions, which would seriously affect vehicle sales in the country.
Interestingly, only 33% of the diesel vehicles on German roads meet the Euro 6 anti-pollution standard, currently the strictest, which limits NOx emissions to a maximum of 80 milligrams per km.

On the other hand, the European Environment Agency claims that in Germany around 10,000 deaths a year are caused or directly linked to emissions of either particulates or NOx. The battle has clearly begun… but will the manufacturers and the administration be able to reach an agreement?

Source | Autonews.com