Tens of thousands dead due to Dieselgate?

Dieselgate will remain in history as one of the worst scandals with heavy economic and unfortunately health-related consequences.

Ten years after its eruption, the Dieselgate scandal continues to have a significant impact on public health and the economy in Europe. A new study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) reveals that between 2009 and 2024, diesel engines equipped with fraudulent devices have caused approximately 124,000 premature deaths and incurred an estimated economic cost of 760 billion euros in the European Union. By 2040, if no corrective measures are taken, this toll could increase by an additional 81,000 deaths and 430 billion euros in damages.

This scandal began in 2015 with the revelation that Volkswagen was using software to manipulate results of pollutant emission tests. It quickly became clear that over 200 models of diesel vehicles, marketed between 2009 and 2019 by several European manufacturers including Fiat, Renault, Citroën, and Volvo, were involved. These vehicles emit levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) well above regulatory limits under real driving conditions.

Technology in the service of fraud

The devices in question, called “defeat devices,” reduce or deactivate emissions control systems outside official testing. Although their use is strictly regulated by European legislation, investigations have revealed widespread reliance on these illegal technologies, without an adequate response from authorities given the stakes.

In France, the impact is particularly severe: between 2009 and 2040, excess emissions from fraudulent vehicles could cause 24,000 premature deaths and lead to 26,000 new cases of asthma in children. These estimates only consider emissions related to the presumed use of illegal devices. The overall effects, if all actual emissions are taken into account, would be much more serious.

Unlike the United States, where severe penalties have been applied, including mandatory recalls and buybacks of vehicles, the European Union seems slow to grasp the extent of the scandal. French authorities, like their European counterparts, may pledge to intensify investigations, demand recalls and force manufacturers to take responsibility to limit the long-term effects of this major environmental fraud, yet the public coughs in near indifference.