Pollution caused by diesel cars in many of Portugal’s cities has been logged at eight times over the limit imposed by the European Commission.According to the latest pollution standards, Euro 6 (2014, for light passenger and commercial vehicles - 459/2012/EC) which came into force in 2015, emissions of nitrogen oxide may not exceed 80 milligrams per kilometre, but in Portugal’s urban areas, a reading of 641 mg / km has been recorded.
Portugal is not alone in failing spectacularly to hit the Euro 6 targets despite some improvement between 2011 and 2015, but the pollution value in Portuguese cities is higher than those in German’s industrial cities, where the volume of nitrogen oxide is 507 mg / km.
It was the Germany pollution level that enabled the German high court to enable councils to ban diesel cars in congested urban areas.
Diesel vehicles not only release a large amount of CO2, but also nitrogen oxide.
In Portugal, as in many other EU states, diesel cars continue to outsell petrol ones. In 2017, diesel car sales accounted for 61% of total passenger car sales – high, but down on the 2013 when diesel accounted for 72.3% of sales.
On the plus side, hybrid or electric cars have gained market share in recent years and accounted for 4.7% of sales in 2017.
Comments
We're not blaming diesel engines for all our worldly problems just for being a human carcinogen and creating respiratory problems in congested urban areas. I much rather ban diesel engines from city centres than wear a mask.
My point is that CO2 is not the problem here and never has been until Mr Al Gore decided to cash in on his carbon tax.
I never said C02 was a pollutant. C02ppm levels have risen in inner city areas purely because of the switch from petrol to diesel cars. Easier to eliminate NOx than blame diesel for all our wordly problems.Modern diesel is far more efficient than petrol with lower co2 levels.
And no CO2 is not responsible for changing our climate.
Diesel exhaust is considered a human carcinogen not because of CO2 but because of particulate matter created during the incomplete combustion of diesel fuels. Nitrogen oxide is another pollutant created by diesel emissions which irritates the respiratory system, causing coughing, choking, and reduced lung capacity.
There are alternative clean fuels that aren't being considered due to $$$ but to say we should stop using fuel A or B because CO2 causes climate change is the biggest lie of the century.
Please note that petrol cars emit far higher CO2 levels than diesel cars. We should all be driving diesel to lower levels of global warming CO2 levels and if you are worried about your health in cities then wear a particulate mask as you walk along the street.
Instead of banning them from one area or another, simply even out the fuel taxes.
There is no reason for the lower cost of diesel. It's a remnant of history that is no longer relevant.
Of course hybrid and electric cars will be better, but it will take years to replace liquid fuel vehicles.