HIGH-SPEED rail services between Spain's largest two cities and France have been snapped up by half a million passengers in less than nine months, reveals the transport board.
Diesel cars cause more than twice the air pollution of buses and lorries
18/01/2017
DIESEL-POWERED cars create more air pollution than buses and lorries running on the same fuel, according to a report by the independent International Council for Clean Transport (ICCT).
In fact, small private diesel-run vehicles give off more than double the about of Nitrous Oxide (NOx) as multi-person communal transport vehicles using the same type of fuel.
When the ICCT carried out research which showed discrepancies between emission data recorded in laboratories and 'real' emissions on the roads, the results sparked further investigations which unmasked the Volkswagen 'Dieselgate' scandal.
Data from Germany and Finland were used to show that cars using the 'Euro 6' type of diesel – which complies with current air-pollution legislation – generated between 480 and 560 milligrams (mg) of NOx per kilometre, whilst buses and lorries using the exact same diesel type only let off 210mg per kilometre.
The ICCT report concludes by stressing the need for road tests to calculate emissions, in addition to the standard laboratory tests, as the only way of assessing true NOx levels generated in order to prevent or reduce them.
These emissions tests will start to be introduced into European Union countries from September this year for private vehicles, and are already compulsory for lorries.
The German government declined to comment on the ICCT's report, but recalled that it has been working on a 'cross-European level' since 2011 to install emission-readers on roads to complement the tests already carried out during the manufacturing process.
The present emissions limit for cars using the Euro 6-type diesel is just 80mg per kilometre, meaning those measured by the ICCT are up to six or seven times over the legal maximum and would not have been allowed onto the forecourt if on-road NOx tests had been carried out when they were manufactured.
Related Topics
DIESEL-POWERED cars create more air pollution than buses and lorries running on the same fuel, according to a report by the independent International Council for Clean Transport (ICCT).
In fact, small private diesel-run vehicles give off more than double the about of Nitrous Oxide (NOx) as multi-person communal transport vehicles using the same type of fuel.
When the ICCT carried out research which showed discrepancies between emission data recorded in laboratories and 'real' emissions on the roads, the results sparked further investigations which unmasked the Volkswagen 'Dieselgate' scandal.
Data from Germany and Finland were used to show that cars using the 'Euro 6' type of diesel – which complies with current air-pollution legislation – generated between 480 and 560 milligrams (mg) of NOx per kilometre, whilst buses and lorries using the exact same diesel type only let off 210mg per kilometre.
The ICCT report concludes by stressing the need for road tests to calculate emissions, in addition to the standard laboratory tests, as the only way of assessing true NOx levels generated in order to prevent or reduce them.
These emissions tests will start to be introduced into European Union countries from September this year for private vehicles, and are already compulsory for lorries.
The German government declined to comment on the ICCT's report, but recalled that it has been working on a 'cross-European level' since 2011 to install emission-readers on roads to complement the tests already carried out during the manufacturing process.
The present emissions limit for cars using the Euro 6-type diesel is just 80mg per kilometre, meaning those measured by the ICCT are up to six or seven times over the legal maximum and would not have been allowed onto the forecourt if on-road NOx tests had been carried out when they were manufactured.
Related Topics
More News & Information
LOW-COST self-service petrol station chain Ballenoil plans to open a further 110 premises in Spain this year on top of the 233 it already operates nationally.
LEARNING to drive may sound as thrilling as it is daunting, but can be one of the most frustrating times in a young adult's life – and one of the most expensive, too.
EVERY now and again, Spain's traffic authority launches a campaign to remind drivers of what they should and should not be doing, or to answer common questions – such as, can drivers be fined if passengers do not...