Lower Saxony: Clean cars in Wolfsburg, dirty slingshots in Wendland!

Lower Saxony: Clean cars in Wolfsburg, dirty slingshots in Wendland!

Lower Saxony presents itself as a fascinating picture in relation to the vehicle fleet. Here the cleanest cars in Germany meet some of the dirtiest models. A current study by the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has found that the exhaust gas standards of vehicles in various registration districts have great differences. In view of the increasing concerns about air quality, it becomes clear that there is a need for action here. According to News38 , the variation in the part of the old exhaust gas standards (Euro 1 to Euro 4) makes an important part of the problem.

in Wendland, especially in the Lüchow-Dannenberg district, the proportion of vehicles with old exhaust gas standards is 33.7%. Around 30% of these vehicles are also on the streets in Nienburg and Salzgitter. On the other hand, Wolfsburg stands out, where the proportion of old standards is only 10.9%. This difference can be explained primarily by the proximity to Volkswagen, which provides many new self -registration and company cars. VW employees in particular benefit from attractive purchase conditions for new cars, which also distorts the statistics. In Wolfsburg there are an average of 973 cars per 1,000 inhabitants.

electric cars and CO₂ emissions

Another interesting aspect is the proportion of electric cars in Lower Saxony. Wolfsburg lists a list of 77.2% of the vehicles with the new EXTALLY standard Euro 6, followed by cities such as Munich, Ingolstadt and Stuttgart, which are between 62.7% and 64.8%. This data shows a clear trend towards clean drives, which is also reflected in the new registrations. The current figures from the KBA show that in May 2025 an impressive increase in electric cars (BEV) was recorded from 18.0% to 43,060 new registrations, which corresponds to an increase of 44.9% compared to the previous year.

But what about air quality and CO₂ emissions? According to Europarl from car: either by more efficient vehicles or a change in fuel consumption. The average value for CO₂ emissions is 109.0 g/km. This makes it clear that the path towards cleaner vehicles is by no means complete.

the look into the future

The statistics from Lower Saxony also raise the question of what role the income plays in deciding for new, clean cars. If you can afford a new vehicle, you will usually use modern and environmentally friendly models. The KBA finds that 49.2% of the vehicles meet the Euro 6 emissions standard on January 1, 2025, which is a positive trend, but also shows that many older vehicles are still in use.