It's been four years since the Dieselgate scandal in Europe broke wide open, and more than three quarters of the 43 million cars identified as designed to cheat on emissions tests as still on Europe's roads.

It could take another two years to recall the remaining 33 million vehicles, according to an analysis of officials European Union performed by the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E) NGO.  Unfortunately, the data covers only the Volkswagen EA189 engines at the heart of the Dieselgate scandal - it doesn't track offending engines from other manufacturers.

"It’s time for governments to get tough and order mandatory recalls across the EU.  This does not require any new laws, just political will," said Florent Grelier, the clean vehicles engineer for T&E. 

"The EU single market fails when it comes to car emissions," Grelier continued.  "It only works for selling cars, but not for recalling them when things go wrong.  There must not be any second-class citizens in Europe.  Every European has an equal right to clean air."

From 1 September 2020 - more than a year from now - the European Commission will have greater powers to increase checks on new cars, directly initiate recalls, and impose fines of up to 30,000 Euros (almost AU$49,000) per non-compliant vehicle.  Until then, recalls remain the responsibility of individual national authorities.  

In 2015, an investigation revealed the Volkswagen programmed some of its diesel vehicles to return false reading during government emissions tests that made them appear to be cleaner and greener than they really were out on the roads.