New study says Czechia is EU's 'most toxic' country by car emissions

The Czech Republic has been named the most toxic European country in terms of emissions, according to a recent study by British energy company Eco Experts. The country's aging car fleet and lack of electric vehicles are cited as the main reasons for this grim accolade.

The study, which ranked 25 European countries based on four key aspects affecting vehicle toxicity, found that the Czech Republic has the sixth-lowest number of alternative fuel vehicles (0.7 percent) and the sixth-oldest fleet with an average age of 14.5 years. The country also recorded the third highest level of ambient air pollution.

"In Czechia, cars, especially old ones, are emitting a toxic mixture of substances into the air every day," said a spokesperson for Eco Experts discussing the research. "This is a major contributor to the poor air quality that is causing hundreds of thousands of premature deaths in Europe every year," they added.

While the Czech Republic has made some progress in increasing the number of electric cars on its roads thanks to a subsidy program, this initiative is set to end, and the country's free parking policy for electric cars in the capital will also be scrapped.

The country, which has an economy that is greatly influenced by automotive production and exports, has previously voiced discontent at the EU’s upcoming Euro 7 emissions standards regulation, which is aimed at significantly reducing vehicle emissions, including nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter.

Just last year, the Czech Prosperity Index revealed that the state of Czechia’s environment is among the worst in the EU and contributes to 3,200 deaths annually in the country. 

The ranking put Czechia 22nd out of 27 EU countries for the state of its environment. Startlingly, the average person in Czechia produces 9.6 tons of greenhouse-gas emissions per year. This is 35 percent higher than the EU average.

In the Eco Experts study, Poland took second place, followed by Estonia, with Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Romania also featuring in the top seven most toxic countries. In contrast, Sweden was found to be the cleanest European country, with 7 percent of its vehicle fleet running on alternative fuels and the lowest recorded air pollution.

The study's findings are particularly concerning, given the World Health Organization's estimate that up to half a million Europeans die prematurely every year due to poor air quality, and a further 6.5 million fall ill with asthma or bronchitis.