Hamburg Becomes First German City To Ban Diesel Vehicles

[Petar + 76]

Hamburg has become the first German city to introduce a ban on older diesel cars, as a crackdown on vehicles blamed for harmful emissions in urban areas gathers pace. The ban follows a crucial ruling in February by Germany’s top administrative court that cities had the right to proscribe diesel cars as a last resort to prevent air pollution, in a victory for environmental groups. Last week the European Commission referred Germany and two other countries to Europe’s highest court over their failure to clean up “significant and persistent” air pollution. The Hamburg ban is a blow to Germany’s powerful motor industry, which is already struggling with a drop in demand for diesel cars. It is also an embarrassment to the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, which is firmly opposed to city driving bans. Pressure on the German auto industry has grown since the Volkswagen diesel scandal of 2015, when the carmaker admitted installing cheat software to trick laboratory emissions tests. European sales of diesel vehicles fell to 38.1 per cent of the total last month, down from 47.4 per cent a year ago, according to Evercore ISI. The Hamburg measure, which will come into force on May 31, is limited in scale. 

[Pavel + 384]

2 minutes ago, Petar said:

Hamburg has become the first German city to introduce a ban on older diesel cars, as a crackdown on vehicles blamed for harmful emissions in urban areas gathers pace. The ban follows a crucial ruling in February by Germany’s top administrative court that cities had the right to proscribe diesel cars as a last resort to prevent air pollution, in a victory for environmental groups. Last week the European Commission referred Germany and two other countries to Europe’s highest court over their failure to clean up “significant and persistent” air pollution. The Hamburg ban is a blow to Germany’s powerful motor industry, which is already struggling with a drop in demand for diesel cars. It is also an embarrassment to the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, which is firmly opposed to city driving bans. Pressure on the German auto industry has grown since the Volkswagen diesel scandal of 2015, when the carmaker admitted installing cheat software to trick laboratory emissions tests. European sales of diesel vehicles fell to 38.1 per cent of the total last month, down from 47.4 per cent a year ago, according to Evercore ISI. The Hamburg measure, which will come into force on May 31, is limited in scale. 

Fact is German cities have been banning old diesel cars for almost 10 years now! Starting in 2008 many cities defined “low emission zones” and demanded cars to bear red, yellow, green stickers depending on their emission classification. So this is the only novelty today, but the concept of banning diesel cars in Germany is 10 years old!

[Petar + 76]

Just now, Pavel said:

Fact is German cities have been banning old diesel cars for almost 10 years now! Starting in 2008 many cities defined “low emission zones” and demanded cars to bear red, yellow, green stickers depending on their emission classification. So this is the only novelty today, but the concept of banning diesel cars in Germany is 10 years old!

Mr. Pera,

As of April 2017 there are 55 cities and regions in Germany that enforced low emission zones banning old diesel cars.  (Source: Wikipedia)

[franco + 96]

They can ban both diesel and gasoline and is still not going to get better... "The EU has said that 70,000 deaths a year in the bloc are linked to high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is a leading cause of respiratory disease. Excessive NO2 levels in European cities have been partly blamed on older diesel cars that produce higher levels of emissions on the road than petrol vehicles."

[Petar + 76]

This ban affects just two busy streets, but it's a first, and others may follow.

[damirUSBiH + 327]

I'd like to ban the diesel truck owner who starts his loud, jacked up oil burner at 4:30 a.m. near my bedroom window. 😠