Lower Saxony: Cleanest and dirtiest cars on our roads!

Lower Saxony: Cleanest and dirtiest cars on our roads!

There are big differences on the roads in Lower Saxony when it comes to vehicle types and their emissions standards. As the News38 reports, a comprehensive study by the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has uncovered such differences. It turns out that Lower Saxony has both the cleanest and the dirtiest cars in Germany. The regional differences are particularly noticeable: in some registration districts, the proportion of old emissions standards (Euro 1 to Euro 4) is an alarming 33.7% in Wendland (Lüchow-Dannenberg).

The neighboring cities of Nienburg and Salzgitter follow closely, both with around 30% of such vehicles. In stark contrast to this is Wolfsburg, which has the best value in Germany with only 10.9% of the old emissions standards. These differences are not just statistically interesting; they also raise questions about purchasing power and infrastructure in the respective regions. In Wolfsburg, where the proximity to Volkswagen's headquarters encourages many new self-registrations and company cars, employees benefit from special conditions when purchasing new cars.

New registrations and the trend towards clean vehicles

The current figures for new registrations already show a trend. In May 2025, of a total of 239,297 newly registered passenger cars, 43,060 were electric vehicles (BEVs), which corresponds to an increase of 44.9% compared to the previous year KBA communicates. The new registrations show that vehicles with the new Euro 6 emissions standard are very popular; 81.6% of new cars met this standard, although this represents a decrease of 5% compared to the previous year.

The people's soul loves modern technology: In Wolfsburg, the new registrations of the new emissions standard are a sign of change; Here over 77.2% of the vehicles are on the road with Euro 6. In comparison, cities such as Munich, Ingolstadt and Stuttgart also have high values ​​of over 62% to 64% for clean cars nationwide.

Emissions in the transport sector

The emissions figures, which are important (not just for drivers), show that Germany wants to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 65% ​​by 2030 compared to 1990. The transport sector, which has so far contributed little to reducing emissions, currently accounts for around 22% of total emissions Federal Environment Agency reported.

In 2023, traffic alone caused 37% of nitrogen oxide emissions and 17% of particulate matter emissions in Germany. Furthermore, we should not forget that particle emissions from transport have been reduced by 63% since 1995, although motorized road traffic is still the main cause. Even though low-emission models are on the rise, the challenge remains to continue to make overall transport more environmentally friendly.

In summary, it can be said that Lower Saxony offers an exciting range of vehicle standards and the associated emissions. How trends develop in the coming years will depend on both political and economic factors. However, one thing is clear - in Wolfsburg there is good business with clean cars, while in other regions there is still a lot of work to do.