I don't know about the restriction on emissions during car productions, but I think the OC was refering to carbon emissions limits on the cars sold in the EU.

Basically, (again, as I understand it) there is limit on average emission / distance run by your fleet ; so you can still some SUVs if you sell enough hybrids and EV.

It seems to be having an effect, at least as measure by the advertisements.

2020 seems to be, as predicted, the year when carmarkers in France realized they had to push their salespeople to actually sell those Zoe-s, otherwise they would get fined.

Maybe the "powerless UE" is having some power here - though we'll have to look at the actual sales number at the end of the year.

(And they'll probably come crying that the year was very bad because COVID. And fire more people to go build all the SUVs in Turkey. I don't know.)

VW's emission cheating produced more Nitrogen Oxide emissions and less carbon dioxide emissions than if the vehicles ran the same in normal conditions and test conditions. In a nutshell, the engines ran hotter while cheating, which naturally increases fuel efficency and nitrogen oxide production.

So, it was bad for breathing, but good for climate change. Except that remedying the situation was probably a lot of emissions.