MORE bad news has hit the diesel market.
With registrations down 22% year-on-year in 2019, the diesel sector looks set for further decline in 2020 as consumer confidence is continually undermined by damaging revelations about the fuel.
Transport & Environment reports that diesel particulate emissions are up to 1000 times great during regeneration than in lab tests.
Transport & Environment tested a Nissan Qashqai and a Vauxhall Astra – both were 32% and 115% respectively over the legal limit for particles when they cleaned their filters in the independent tests. Transport & Environment says that means that 60-99% of regulated particle emissions from the tested vehicles are ignored.
Anna Krajinska, emissions engineer at Transport & Environment said:
“These tests show that new diesels are still not clean. In fact they are spewing out highly-dangerous levels of particles in our towns and highways everyday. Carmakers are being given an easy ride but people’s lungs are paying for it. Manufacturers should clean up their cars if they want to sell them.”
Particulate pollution is most closely associated with cancer, and chronic exposure has been found to affect the heart and the lungs leading to breathing difficulties.
Ralph Morton is the leading journalist in the leasing broker sector and editor of Broker News, the website which provides information and news for BVRLA-registered leasing brokers. He also writes extensively on the fleet and leasing market in both the UK and Europe.
