General criticism of the diesel compromise in Germany

Berlin (APA / DPA) – The compromise between German Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU) and the German car manufacturers in the diesel crisis is causing a lot of criticism. The builders agreed to expand the offerings to older vehicle owners. This may include the manufacturer's skeptical badessment of modifying the computer hardware of the engines and exhaust systems.

From the point of view of the head of the German Parliament Anton Verts, Anton Hofreiter, the "Tricksen" continues shamelessly: "Minister Scheuer and the business leaders want to turn the new cars fooled into diesel and refuse them for an extra year ", so many other driving bans are scheduled. ,

Klaus Müller, President of the Association of Consumer Organizations (vzbv), said: "The promise of some manufacturers to cover the costs of hardware upgrades has been long overdue." The fact that every manufacturer is now preparing its own own soup and that even some concerned diesel owners come out completely empty, is not negotiated. "The concerned diesel owners may not incur additional costs for upgrading the equipment.

~ Michael Theurer, member of the FDP, praised the "progress" in the commitments to modernize hardware, in his words: "But with this measure alone, driving bans can not be prevented short term." Moratorium, so that the measures can work. At the same time, it is necessary to create a framework that allows vehicles to be legally modernized and vehicles that are later equipped to be permanently excluded from driving bans. ~ From the point of view of the industry expert, Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, the targeted solution is created "even less than a patchwork". VW and Daimler accounted for about 30% of diesel vehicles in Germany, the rest would not be taken into account, said Dudenhöffer the "morning Mannheimer" (Friday).

~ According to Vice President Ulrich Klaus, it is important for the German automobile club ADAC "that, for motorists who can not buy a new car despite exchange premiums and discounts, the technical redevelopment continues to offer the possibility of stay mobile despite the imminent driving bans and offset the depreciation of their diesel cars. "All manufacturers should now make such offers.On Thursday, a court also ordered the closure of old diesels in Cologne and Bonn. restrictions were already imposed on Hamburg The courts had ordered driving bans for Stuttgart, Berlin and Frankfurt from 2019. In many cities, pollutant limits were not respected, diesel exhaust gases were considered as a major cause.

After the compromise reached with VW, Daimler and BMW want to increase their offers to the customers concerned. The three companies have committed up to 3,000 euros related to vehicles for "mobility solutions" in "intensive cities," said Scheuer.

German manufacturers had already introduced higher discounts when customers gave their old diesel as payment and bought a cleaner car. This regulation applies to 15 "intensive cities" in Germany, where the limits of pollutants are exceeded, particularly by diesel emissions particularly strict. According to the manufacturer, the "exchange premiums" will apply until 2019 and 2020.

These exchange shares should remain at the forefront, as Scheuer did. But if diesel owners do not take advantage of these measures, other measures are planned. As a result, Volkswagen and Daimler are ready to rehabilitate the old diesel cars remaining in the "intensive cities" up to 3,000 euros per car with catalytic converters – these are the material adaptations. Until now, VW and Daimler had offered to pay € 2,400 per vehicle.

At Daimler, it was said that the modernization had to be approved by the Federal Motor Transport Authority and that it clearly allowed driving in certain cities on forbidden roads. VW has announced its participation in hardware upgrades if customers so wish. The group will not propose or recommend them.

BMW, however, refuses any further adaptation of the equipment. The group wants to support the concerned diesel owners but after the expiration of the "exchange premiums" of 3,000 euros – for a new purchase.

It is expected that hardware upgrades will only be available in 2020. In this context, VDA President Bernhard Mattes said that the three German manufacturers would ensure that after 2020, customers with Euro 5 end-of-life diesel vehicles can remain "mobile" thanks to specific offers from manufacturers.

Following recent driving bans, Deutsche Umwelthilfe expects similar decisions in other cities in North Rhine-Westphalia. In the coming week, the Gelsenkirchen Administrative Court will hear a lawsuit in Essen and Gelsenkirchen.

The special "Clean Air" program launched by the federal government in 2017 to help municipalities with high concentrations of pollutants will barely be used, according to a newspaper article. Of the one billion euros available to date, just under a million euros have been recovered, according to the "Germany Editorial Network", in a German government response to a request from the group FDP.