Germany's car dirt in the ranking: Where the dirty cars are parked!

Germany's car dirt in the ranking: Where the dirty cars are parked!

In Germany, the proportion of vehicles with outdated emissions standards depends heavily on the respective registration districts. According to an evaluation by the Federal Motor Transport Authority, it shows that in some districts every third car meets the old Euro 1 to Euro 4 standards, while in others only every tenth vehicle meets these standards. This discrepancy is particularly high in Lüchow-Dannenberg at 33.7% of vehicles. The districts of Elbe-Elster and Duisburg Stadt also have high proportions of cars with old emissions standards at 31.7% and 30.7%.

In addition, Emmendingen, Nienburg, Gelsenkirchen Stadt, Spree Neiße, Herne Stadt and Görlitz are also affected, all of which have shares above 30%. In contrast, Wolfsburg has one of the lowest proportions of vehicles with old emissions standards (10.9%). This city obviously benefits from a high number of new private registrations and company cars, which has a positive impact on the environmental balance.

Cleanest cars according to emissions standards

Wolfsburg is particularly ahead when it comes to environmentally friendly vehicles, with 77.2% of the cleanest cars, including electric vehicles and those with the Euro 6 standard. Wiesbaden follows in second place with 70.6%, while Munich city and country take third and fourth place with 64.8% and 64%. The Main-Taunus district and the Audi and Mercedes locations in Ingolstadt and Stuttgart are also located in the low sixties. It is believed that income in wealthy areas encourages the purchase of new and environmentally friendly cars.

In the EU, new limits have now been adopted for pollutant emissions from various types of vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, buses and trucks. The most important emissions standards, which range from the Euro 1 standard for vehicles whose first registration dates from January 1st, 1993, to Euro 6d ISC-FCM, which applies from January 1st, 2021, are of central importance for the reduction of pollutants. The upcoming introduction of the Euro 7 standard, which will apply to new car models from November 29, 2026, will adjust the limit values ​​for nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide and thus promote even more environmentally friendly mobility.

Influence of emissions standards on traffic and the environment

The new standards aim to make no distinction between diesel and petrol vehicles and also regulate brake dust and tire wear. They contain landmark sales deadlines that support the spread of environmentally friendly cars. Emission limits and the associated environmental stickers, such as green, yellow or red, also determine traffic permits in many cities. Recently, the Euro 5 driving bans in Munich were withdrawn for the time being, while Euro 4 diesel remains affected, underlining the complexity of national transport policy.

The ongoing discussion about hardware retrofits for Euro 5 diesel and the introduction of environmental bonuses for new car buyers who scrap old diesel show how seriously the issue of environmentally friendly transport is taken. The legal framework and public initiatives aim to improve air quality in urban areas and motivate consumers to switch to more environmentally friendly vehicles.