Diesel scandal: manipulated trucks detected
Three years after the exhaust manipulations of trucks uncovered by the German Environmental Aid, there are still too many trucks on the road with excessive nitrogen oxide emissions. The environmental association calls on the Federal Ministry of Transport to finally take action against this.
Numerous trucks on the highways still exceed the legal limits for nitrogen oxide (NOx). This is the result of recent measurements by the German Environmental Aid (DUH), which recently carried out checks on exhaust emissions from 235 Euro V and VI trucks in real-world operation - with a shocking conclusion. Almost half of the vehicles tested exceeded the limit values.
Exhaust emissions were mainly found in Euro VI trucks, as the number of Euro V trucks is steadily decreasing. The measured values reached an average of 708 mg NOx/kWh, which is far above the current nitrogen oxide limit of 460 mg/kWh permitted for Euro VI trucks. This is an excessive value that will no longer be tolerated in the future - especially since the EU Commission's draft stipulates a maximum of approximately 90 mg/kWh for this vehicle class in the future. Among the outliers that most frequently have a manipulated exhaust system - the environmental association notes - are various models of the Swedish car manufacturer Volvo. Here, nitrogen oxide emissions have even increased compared to previous measurements.
More than three years ago, the DUH had already detected massive violations of the limit values and had made the results of the investigations available to the Federal Ministry of Transport and the Federal Office for Goods Transport. However, the current measurements - according to DUH Federal Director Jürgen Resch - now make it clear that the authorities responsible for this have not yet implemented the required emission controls and sanctions. "Obviously, people's health is not important to the Federal Ministry of Transport," Resch concludes. In this context, he calls for more effective controls on motorways and federal trunk roads, periodic exhaust emission tests for nitrogen oxides - as well as prompt implementation of the agreed sanctions in case of violations.
Only in this way, and with a functioning control system for truck exhaust gas purification - linked to "severe sanctions" in the case of violations - will it be possible to achieve the limit values. According to the DUH's Emissions Control Institute (EKI), the technical prerequisites for this are already available to the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility. Will the German authorities now finally act against exhaust gas manipulation that is harmful to the environment and health? After all, there is no more time to lose in terms of climate targets.