Environmental analysis highlights impact of diesel cars

Experts conducting an environmental analysis into the effect of diesel emissions on the environment have discovered that modern cars are not as green as first thought.

Mark Jacobson of Stanford University told Reuters that many of the supposed eco-friendly diesel cars currently on the market are damaging to the environment.

Mr Jacobson believes a loophole in the road tax system should be closed to protect the environment further.

In the UK, vehicles are exempt from the tax if their carbon dioxide output is below a certain level, but this does not account for soot emissions, which can also be harmful to the atmosphere.

"Each effect will vary from vehicle to vehicle but the point is they are not accounting for this [soot output]. The claim that barely detectable black carbon causes no warming is misinformation," he told the news provider.

The latest vehicle licensing statistics released by the Department for Transport showed the number of low carbon cars sold in the UK doubled in 2010.

Posted by Claire Manning