Emission standards

Bigger, more-powerful cars have negated the impact of tighter CO2 emissions regulations in the EU, a report by the bloc's internal auditor found yesterday.

Real CO2 emissions from most passengers cars on EU roads are the same as 12 years ago despite reduction targets set in 2010 for newly registered vehicles, putting in jeopardy Europe's green agenda, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) said on Wednesday.

The EU recently set stricter limits for emissions from newly registered passenger cars

The German capital will impose a ban on the movement of older and polluting diesel vehicles on some of its streets starting in October this year, which reports a strong rise in clean air standards, DPA reported.

More than a dozen car manufacturers, including Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Honda and Volkswagen have officially asked U.S. President Donald Trump not to relax emission limits, to avoid a fragmentation of the car market, U.S. media reported.

The European Parliament called on the Member States to take action to withdraw polluting cars from their markets or to make mandatory retrofitting of their equipment. Bulgaria was also criticized, together with Hungary, Ireland, Slovenia and Sweden, for not sending any information to Brussels on their programs to withdraw such vehicles from the market.
   

Germany's highest administrative court in Leipzig will on Thursday decide the fate of 15 million diesel vehicles in the country when it rules on whether cities in Europe's largest car market can ban heavily polluting cars, reported Reuters.

The controversy over Volkswagen AG's diesel-emissions cheating took another twist when the carmaker apologized for a test that exposed monkeys to engine fumes to study effects of the exhaust. 

California Governor Jerry Brown Friday signed an executive order detailing aims to have five million electric cars on the state's roads by 2030 -- by accelerating the production of such vehicles using financial incentives and rebates, AFP reports.

Emissions from diesel cars rigged to appear eco-friendly may be responsible for 5,000 air pollution deaths per year in Europe alone, according to a study published Sept. 18.

The numbers are in line with previous assessments of deaths due to the so-called "Dieselgate" scandal, which erupted when carmaker Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to cheating on vehicle emissions tests.