Mexican Media Brands
Merkel: Go Easy on Germany’s Auto Industry
German Chancellor Angela Merkel urges lawmakers not to force the country’s carmakers into costly diesel emission system retrofit programs when they should be investing more heavily in future technologies.
#regulations
Share
German Chancellor Angela Merkel urges lawmakers not to force the country’s carmakers into costly diesel emission system retrofit programs when they should be investing more heavily in future technologies.
Merkel, a staunch defender of Germany’s auto industry, says it’s up to the car companies to regain consumer trust in the wake of disclosures about widespread manipulation of diesel emission levels, Reuters reports.
She also calls for a European effort to bolster the region’s technical capabilities in software and vehicle electrification to avoid ceding those skills to Asia and North America.
Like Germany’s vehicle producers, Merkel favors cheap software updates rather than hardware solutions to reduce emissions from older diesels. Reuters notes that Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer has asked carmakers to detail how they plan to do just that this year for some 5.3 million diesels currently on the road.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Dubai to Test Digital License Plates
Next month Dubai will begin testing digital license plates that can display various messages, make payments and conduct other transactions.
-
Porsche Racing to the Future
Porsche is part of VW Group and it is one of the companies that is involved in putting vehicles on the U.S. market with diesel engines in violation of EPA emissions regulations, specifically model year 2013–2016 Porsche Cayenne Diesel 3.0-liter V6 models.
-
BMW Granted License to Test Self-Driving Cars in Shanghai
BMW AG has become the first foreign carmaker to win permission to test autonomous vehicles on public roads in China, according to the Shanghai Daily.
