Diesel cars have been found to emit much higher levels of pollution than their manufacturers claim.
The environment ministry of France conducted a 10-month investigation as a result of the VW “Dieselgate” scandal in which the car giant installed software designed to defraud emission tests.
The study found that about one-third of the 86 diesel vehicles in the test produced toxic nitrogen oxides which were well above the limits set in Europe.
Similar conclusions were reached separately by the UK’s Department for Transport.
The worst offenders were the Fiat 500X, Volvo V40, the Renault Talisman and Espace models, the Nissan Qashqai and the Ford Kuga, Opel Astra and Mokka. The Fiat 500X stood out for emitting nitrogen oxides nearly 17 times the legal limit.
The investigators were not able pronounce categorically if any manufacturer had deployed software designed to bamboozle because they had no access to the manufacturers’ computer programmes.
Some industry observers fear that VW is not alone in rigging emission tests, but no proof appears yet to have been forthcoming.
The French report concluded: “At this stage, the commission has no evidence of the use of any illegal methods, but cannot exclude this hypothesis, that can only be confirmed or refuted by more profound investigations.”
It called on manufacturers to “strengthen the environmental performances” of vehicles and stressed the need for greater transparency. It said the true emissions figures should be made public and motorists urged to buy less polluting models.
