With “defeat devices” once again in the news, thanks to yet another manufacturer failing to comply with the Clean Air Act, now seems as good a time as any to remind folks how the automotive industry is actively working to undermine the protections of the Clean Air Act and increase the use of defeat devices in passenger cars and trucks.
Next Thursday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will vote a proposal to reduce smog-forming and soot emissions from heavy-duty vehicles sold in the state over the next decade. While CARB has already moved forward to accelerate the adoption of electric trucks in the state, this latest proposal is a critical part of cleaning up the trucking sector until that broader transformation takes place.
A new study has found that widespread EV adoption could save the U.S. $17–70 billion every year.
Last Thursday, California made history by becoming the first state to mandate that truck makers move to zero-emission drivetrains. California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) new Advanced Clean Trucks regulation requires that half of the state’s trucks will need to be zero-emission by 2035, and the remaining half by 2045. A complementary Zero-Emission rule for fleet owners is in the works as well.
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Every diesel vehicle over 10 years old is now effectively banned from operating in any part of the entire city area of Stuttgart, home to Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and 630,000 residents. The move signals the first serious diesel ban in any German city. A mid-year review of the resulting pollution rates will decide if many of the remaining diesels, older than 5 years, will also be banned from 2020.
The burning of any fuel will produce CO2, but also possibly pollution in the form of particulates, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide, although the extent of these depends on the nature of the particular fuel and the efficiency with which the fuel is burnt.
Volkswagen board members must be wondering how to put away this never-ending diesel scandal, now in its third year. Despite trying its best to avoid the consequences, the auto giant was once again caught a few months back with emission tricks. Adding insult to injury, a German political scandal is brewing from citizens demanding politicians step in … and many politicians not wanting to step in.
Exposure to common levels of residential air pollution during fetal development is linked with cognitive impairment and the presence of brain abnormalities, a new study published in the journal Biological Psychiatry has found.
Nitrogen oxides (NOx), a form of pollution closely associated with diesel fuel combustion in diesel cars and trucks, cause the early death of around 6,000 people a year in Germany, the country’s Federal Environmental Agency has revealed.
