You may have already heard of “Diesel-Gate”, the Volkswagen emissions scandal which began in 2015 when the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that diesel car manufacturer, Volkswagen, had intentionally programmed their diesel engines to activate their emissions controls ONLY during laboratory emissions testing but emitted up to 40 times more nitrous oxide pollution in real-world driving conditions.

Well, research by Brussels-based Transport & Environment shows that this isn’t just an issue with Volkswagen, but several other models of new diesel vehicles up to 115% over the legal limit for particles due to a testing loophole, contributing to urban air pollution locally and globally.

Our resident environmental scientist, Dr. Cara Augustenborg, joined Ivan with an update on Diesel-gate and the implications for us in Ireland.