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An idling gas engine may be annoyingly loud, but that’s the price you pay for having WAY less torque available at a standstill.
6 points
We had that in the US too, commonly called “cash for clunkers.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_Allowance_Rebate_System
But I think it was really more about the economic stimulus than the environmental impact. But I’m sure the environmental side helped justify it.