Germany wages war on dirty diesels

New powers will be granted to German towns and cities to ban dirty diesels as the post-Dieselgate backlash continues.

According to newswire Bloomberg, Germany’s government will soon pave the way for mayors and local councils to set an NOx emissions limit of 80 grams per kilometre for every vehicle that enters its city.

Set to be implemented as early as this year, the new ban could affect all non-Euro 6 diesels made before 2015.

Commenting on the new powers that will be vested to state government, German deputy environmental minister Jochen Flasbarth said: "This step is necessary as a stop gap until electric cars have a significant foothold in our towns, and diesel emissions really are what car makers say they are: cleaner,"

Claiming “unanimous” support from local council officials working and living in the areas affected, the government has come under attack for the proposal to outlaw old diesels, with the German car industry immediately issuing a statement that read: “It would be a fundamental mistake to badmouth diesels.

"Whoever supports climate protection can't forgo diesels -- environment ministers know this too," the industry statement also declared.

According to car industry newswire, Automotive News, currently almost half of the three million vehicles sold annually in Germany are diesels with some car makers, like BMW, claiming as much as 74 per cent of the cars it sells are diesel-powered.

It’s not completely clear how the new limits will be enforced, and environmental minister Flasbarth says his government will not compel towns and cities to enforce one of the strictest emissions limits in the world.

Particulates and NOx emissions in Germany have now been linked with more than 10,000 premature deaths a year, claims the Environment Agency.

It’s believed by industry commentators that the public furore over the Dieselgate scandal helped Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government pass the new act, giving the state government the powers to restrict dirty diesels from urban built-up areas.

Millions of German car owners now face complete bans within cities where they live, which could see a mass exodus from diesel-powered vehicles as concerns continue to surround the introduction of “real-world” emission tests.