German carmakers funded experiments exposing monkeys to diesel fumes - reports

A research group, funded by German carmakers to design a study to show that modern diesel cars are clean, conducted an experiment in the US which exposed monkeys to diesel fumes - a “new dimension in the global emissions scandal”, writes the New York Times. German carmakers condemned the use of animals in the experiment commissioned by European Research Group on Environment and Health in the Transport Sector (EUGT) – an organisation founded by BMW, Daimler and VW, reports news agency Reuters. It remains unclear whether the carmakers were aware of monkeys being used, the agency writes. According to an article in Stuttgarter Zeitung, EUGT also commissioned an experiment exposing humans to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which showed no impact. Daimler condemned both tests and said it would initiate an investigation although it had no influence on the experiment's set up, the paper reports.

Find the original NYT article in English here, the Reuters piece in English here and the Stuttgarter Zeitung article in German here.

For background, read CLEW's "Dieselgate"- a timeline of Germany's car emissions fraud scandal.