Since September 2017, new car models will have to pass new and more reliable emissions tests in real driving conditions (“Real Driving Emissions” – RDE) as well as an improved laboratory test (“World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure” – WLTP) before they can be driven on European roads. These changes were prompted by the Volkswagen emissions scandal, and aim to control, among other, emissions of CO2 as well as NOx and other air pollutants. According to the European Commission, three air pollutants alone, PM 2.5, NO2 and O3, are responsible for 400 000 premature deaths per year in the EU including some 70.000 directly linked to NO2.
Sources: http://europa.eu/; http://europa.eu/