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'These kind of vehicles drive like a hoover... Air they suck in is far dirtier than the air which comes out of it.'
Slamming Jaguar Land Rover for calling Delhi air sucked in by its cars 'far dirtier' than what they emit, environmental advocacy group CSE on Monday said this amounts to equating cars with "air-purifying machines".
Terming as 'misleading and irresponsible' the comments made by luxury carmaker JLR's CEO Ralph Speth, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said the car companies cannot be allowed to "hide behind such claims" amid raging concerns over "toxic diesel emissions even in advanced markets today".
"No car company can get away by making such remarks in any other country. Instead of misleading the public and policymakers, vehicle industry should acknowledge special public health concerns associated with toxic diesel emissions and take full responsibility for quick and drastic cuts in emissions by leapfrogging to Euro VI emissions standards to reduce public health risk," CSE said in a statement.
It further said this was "a serious affront when judicial and executive action is focussed on reducing public health risk from diesel emissions".
In a strong criticism of the ban on high-end diesel car sales, Speth had said on the sidelines of the Auto Expo that "the latest EU VI regulation schemes have got technical features, which (can) clean the air in Delhi.
"These kind of vehicles drive like a hoover... Air they suck in is far dirtier than the air which comes out of it."
JLR is among the automobile companies hit hard by the apex court order in December last year banning registration of diesel SUVs and cars above 2000 cc in the entire National Capital Region till March 31.
The government has also decided to advance enforcement of much stricter Euro VI emissions standards.
In its statement, CSE said it "condemns the misleading remark of the Jaguar and Land Rover Chief Ralph Ralf Speth in claiming that their cars act like air purifying machines".