The new climate package hits old diesel and petrol cars hard. All major cities in France will have to set up a permanent low emission zone with strict rules by the end of 2024. The sale of combustion cars will also be banned in the long term. At the same time, more eco-lanes are to be set up to promote e-mobility.
The icy temperatures in Berlin are causing problems for the e-buses. These have increasingly caved in to the cold in recent days, even though the batteries were supposed to withstand the cold according to the manufacturer. The buses had to be replaced by diesel buses.
The major Italian cities had nitrogen oxide levels that were clearly too high last year, despite the lockdown. This is the conclusion of the environmental organisation Legambiente in its annual report. It calls for diesel vehicles up to Euro 5 to be locked out immediately.
The charging of e-cars is to be revolutionised with inductive charging while driving. Researchers at the TU Braunschweig are investigating this in the "eCharge" project. However, the technology still seems to be a thing of the future - inductive charging is still in its infancy.
In Marseille, 2000 mobile measuring devices are being distributed to citizens to measure air pollution in the metropolis. The aim is to obtain more precise information on the improvement of air quality and the effectiveness of the environmental zone in the city on the Mediterranean Sea.
A new development could revolutionise driving with hydrogen. Previous hydrogen drives are not practical, especially for small vehicles. The so-called Powerpaste solves the space problem and could soon provide clean cities as a drive for electric vehicles with fuel cells.
The country faces a 100 million euro fine for excessive air pollution. A two-month deadline set by the European Commission to reduce nitrogen oxide pollution passed unsuccessfully yesterday. At the same time, a French court ruled that the state was partly to blame for the country's climate damage.
The situation for car drivers in France is becoming increasingly confusing. Now Bordeaux is also to get a temporary environmental zone. In the city by the sea, however, it is not only traffic that causes high particulate pollution. The sea also contributes to the air pollution peaks.
With about 4.2 million deaths annually worldwide no other environmental problem kills people as frequently as air pollution. Particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and ozone affect the human body in many different ways and can cause serious physical and psychological problems.
Many rule tightenings in the European low emission zones will not take place this year as planned. The Corona pandemic has shifted the political focus to other matters. Moreover, the limit values were complied with in many places. After the pandemic, however, the introduction of stricter rules will probably hit European motorists with full force.
