In Italy there are an estimated 2.6 million cars circulating with suspicious levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
Of these, 1.9 million have extreme emissions levels and almost certainly use an emissions manipulation device.
This is the complaint of the International Council on Clean Transportation (Icct), the organization behind the Dieselgate scandal of 2015, which has published a new report on the 're-evaluation of the excess NOx from European autodiesels'.
In the EU and UK, the ICCT estimates that 19 million vehicles with suspect emissions and 13 million vehicles with extreme emissions are in use.
The analysis by the ICCT, from which the complaint started in 2014 that triggered the year after the scandal, is based on the results of tests and market surveillance interviews conducted by regulators to understand how many vehicle models could have defeat devices.
The focus is on Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel cars produced before the adoption of tests in real driving conditions (2017).
According to the Icct surveys, suspicious NOx emission levels were detected in 77% of the tests, with probable use of a prohibited defeat device.
Extreme levels of emissions were found in 40% of tests, with almost certain presence of a prohibited manipulation device.
According to the study, more than 200 vehicle models tested also show high NOx emissions, exceeding the threshold defined as "suspicious".
And 150 vehicle models show emissions exceeding the threshold defined as "extreme".
From 2009 to 2019, underlines the ICCT, around 53 million Euro 5 and Euro 6 certified diesel cars were sold in Europe. Most of them are still in operation and continue to emit high levels of NOx.
