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Volkswagen Fights Germany Diesel Ban with More Diesel Cars

Last year, the Volkswagen Group conducted a so-called environmental incentive campaign in Germany, during which it replaced 170,000 old diesel vehicles from the roads with an equal amount of new diesel cars.
Detroit Silverdome parking lot 1 photo
Photo: Youtube screenshot/jacuzzibusguy
Now, after February’s court ruling that German cities could, should they desire to, impose stricter access regulations for old diesel vehicles, Volkswagen is relaunching the campaign, but with a more clearer goal: keep diesel running.

Any German who owns a Euro 1 to Euro 4 emissions standard diesel vehicle will have the chance to swap their car for a newer, a tad cleaner model from the Volkswagen group range. Depending on the model traded in, Germans could benefit from a rebate of anywhere in between 3,000 euro (for old Polo models) to 10,000 euro (for a Touareg SUV).

The only condition is that the customers buy any Volkswagen or Audi they want, as long as it is a diesel. Because, you know, Volkswagen loves diesel, despite what diesel did to the group over the past few years.

“Volkswagen is committed to diesel, and our current engines are among the cleanest on the market,” said Thomas Zahn, VW’s head of sale and marketing.

"With the Germany Guarantee and the diesel environmental incentive, we are offering our customers security when they choose a diesel and are on their side as a strong partner.”

It’s not clear what the group will do with the old diesel cars customers will trade in. In the U.S. alone, some 300,000 cars involved in the Dieselgate scandal have been hidden in plain sight in roughly 37 parking areas scattered across the country.

The biggest such graveyard is located on a lot for decommissioned airplanes in Victorville, California. Other locations across the States include an unused football stadium in Detroit, the Silverdome, and Rivian Automotive's parking lot in Normal, Illinois.

Already 20,000 of the cars have been destroyed, while the rest await either to be fixed or scrapped.

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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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