Almost 4 years ago, 10 monkeys sat in an airtight container in a research lab in Albuquerque breathing in diesel fumes being pumped in by a Volkswagen Beetle. The monkeys were kept entertained by cartoons as they breathed in fumes which parties deem as harmful to human beings as revealed in a report by the New York Times.
Volkswagen had commissioned the research in order to prove that the latest diesel technology is way better than the ones from yesteryear as well as showcase how clean their new diesel cars were. Instead, the Volkswagen Beetle was rigged, similar to the dieselgate scandal where emissions were lower in testing environments compared to that when on the road.
The research was commissioned by the European Scientific Study Group for the Environment, Health and Transport Sector which ceased its operations last year. The group was funded by Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW but the latter two companies have started staying away from the groups questionable research methods.
This revelation comes as another blow towards Volkswagen’s image. Daimler has released a statement to even condemn the tests.
“We believe the animal tests in this study were unnecessary and repulsive,” said a Daimler representative in a statement. “We explicitly distance ourselves from the study.”
In a world where electric cars are gaining more popularity, more and more consumers are getting aware and looking at longer term sustainable modes of transportation. Even European cities have already started putting bans on diesel vehicles from entering the city in the future in order to cut down on gas pollutants.
