According to new figures from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority, diesel cars on average emit more CO2 than petrol cars, according to an article published in the German daily newspaper Bild on 30 January.
In the first quarter of 2019, diesel cars reportedly emitted an average of 137 g of CO2 per kilometre, compared with 135 g/km for petrol cars.
The reason is apparently that the sport utility vehicles (SUVs) offered by manufacturers are more powerful and heavier than petrol models.
According to Stephan Kühn, spokesman for the German environmentalists (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) on traffic issues, these figures are a reminder that “new diesel cars are no protectors of the climate”.
While criticising the car manufacturers’ strategy of introducing various SUV models to the market, he calls for lighter and less powerful vehicles to be built.
“True climate protection can only be achieved with emission-free electric cars powered by electricity from renewable sources”, he added.
“This shows that car manufacturers cannot blame the drop in diesel sales for the rise in CO2”, the NGO Transport & Environment reacted. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)