Lower Saxony: Discovered big differences in exhaust gas standards of the cars!

Lower Saxony: Discovered big differences in exhaust gas standards of the cars!

Lower Saxony shows its multifaceted side when it comes to the vehicle fleet. A current analysis of the Federal Motor Transport Authority is leafing off the sometimes amazing differences in the exhaust gas standards of the cars in the country. In Lower Saxony there are both the cleanest and the dirty most dirty vehicles in Germany, which ensures conversation.

A closer look at the numbers reveals a lot about the registration districts. Around 33.7% of the cars with outdated exhaust gas standards (Euro 1 to Euro 4) are traveling in Wendland, such as in Lüchow-Dannenberg. The proportion of these old vehicles is also around 30%in Nienburg and Salzgitter. Interestingly, Wolfsburg is at the top of the ranking: With a share of only 10.9%, the city, which is closely connected to Volkswagen, represents a remarkable contrast to the other districts. The reason for these low values ​​should be partly in the special conditions for VW employees when buying new cars. In Wolfsburg there are statistically 973 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, and the city also shines at the electric cars, where 77% of the vehicles fulfill the new emissions standard Euro 6. This shows a clear purchasing power and a good hand of the citizens for modern and environmentally conscious mobility.

emissions in focus

But what about the larger relationships? The Federal Environment Agency has published current data that show that the transport sector in Germany has so far hardly contributed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. On the contrary: the proportion of traffic emissions rose from around 13% in 1990 to 22% in 2023. This development is particularly striking because traffic now causes 37% of nitrogen oxide emissions and 17% of fine dust emissions in Germany. In the long term, Germany aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65% ​​by 2030 and to become climate -neutral by 2045.

The statistics show that cars cause fewer emissions per kilometer, but the entire CO2 emissions have increased due to rising driving performance and larger vehicles in recent years. In 2023, cars of cars were around 7.5% above the 1995 value, despite technical progress. In order to say goodbye to the old exhaust gas standards, the emotional and financial hurdles for the purchase of new, clean cars must also be overcome.

Changes in the new registration market

If you observe the new registrations, alternative drives, especially electric vehicles, cut off better than ever before. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, electric cars ensured an impressive increase of 44.9% compared to the previous year in May 2025. A total of 239,297 new vehicles were approved, of which 18% electric cars were. At the same time, there was a decline in conventional fuels: New registrations of petrol and diesel vehicles were more clearly found than that of vehicles with alternative drives.