Exhaust Emission Characteristics

The tiresome exhaust emission characteristics topic

US-cars are cult in Germany. But what about the exhaust emissions? People still think that US-vehicles produce less harmful substances than European vehicles, because people think that exhaust emission regulations are stricter in the USA.

This is not true!

For example: The vehicles called "light duty trucks" (pick-ups and [mini-]vans) are not automatically low in emitting harmful substances! As with newer vehicles, this also applies to passenger cars.
According to European guidelines, a separate account (e.g. in form of a datasheet) of exhaust emission characteristics must be kept.