Photo: businessinsider.com
A nail bitting mood has engulfed the European automotive industry on Thursday morning, in expectation of a decision from the continent’s largest market regarding the future of diesel-powered cars.
The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig is expected to announce its ruling today on an appeal by two of Germany’s states contesting a decision made by a lower-level court. The decision the Federal Court would be announcing today will be final and will allow cities across the country to impose bans on certain diesel cars, forbidding them to enter city centers.
All the diesel adventure in Germany started a while ago when environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) sued nine German cities to make them enforce stricter clean air regulations.
In local courts, the group won, the cities being ordered to ban diesel cars that do not comply with standards. The governments in Baden-Wuerttemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia, on behalf of their capital cities, Stuttgart and Duesseldorf, appealed the decision of the local courts.
According to Forbes, should that ruling be backed by the Federal Court, that would affect all vehicles manufactured before the introduction of the Euro 6 emission standard in 2015.
Such a decision would evidently affect a diesel-loving country. According to data compiled by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), diesel car registrations accounted for 45.8 percent of the German automotive market in 2016.
A ban decision would come however following a natural trend of decreased interest in diesel cars. JATO Dynamics data showed that in 2017 Europe’s interest in diesel dropped by 7,9 percent, reaching the lowest number of diesel car registrations in more than a decade.
Although it is expected that other European countries would follow Germany’s lead should such a decision be made, others on the continent will feel the fallout. Eastern European countries especially, lacking the proper legislation, will probably be flooded with second-hand diesel cars emanating from Germany.
All the diesel adventure in Germany started a while ago when environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) sued nine German cities to make them enforce stricter clean air regulations.
In local courts, the group won, the cities being ordered to ban diesel cars that do not comply with standards. The governments in Baden-Wuerttemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia, on behalf of their capital cities, Stuttgart and Duesseldorf, appealed the decision of the local courts.
According to Forbes, should that ruling be backed by the Federal Court, that would affect all vehicles manufactured before the introduction of the Euro 6 emission standard in 2015.
Such a decision would evidently affect a diesel-loving country. According to data compiled by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), diesel car registrations accounted for 45.8 percent of the German automotive market in 2016.
A ban decision would come however following a natural trend of decreased interest in diesel cars. JATO Dynamics data showed that in 2017 Europe’s interest in diesel dropped by 7,9 percent, reaching the lowest number of diesel car registrations in more than a decade.
Although it is expected that other European countries would follow Germany’s lead should such a decision be made, others on the continent will feel the fallout. Eastern European countries especially, lacking the proper legislation, will probably be flooded with second-hand diesel cars emanating from Germany.
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