With diesel cars there is a big trade off: per passenger mile driven, they produce significantly less CO2 greenhouse gas than gasoline-fueled cars, because they are more efficient in producing power from the fuel. The downside is local air pollution, especially in cities. For over-the-road distance travel, diesel is superior environmentally, but in dense cities, the particulates and nitrogen oxides are a big problem with implications for human health. Banning diesels will result in an increase in German greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles over time, unless other ways are found to either reduce miles driven or increase efficiency. There's no free lunch.
10
This ban is long overdue and the amount of time that was required to achieve this is telling of the hold German car producers have on German policy. It's absolutely shameful and the politicians arguing that the software should be tweaked are absolutely shameless.
I think we are witnessing the long slow death of Germany's car manufacturers. The group of old white conservative men at the top thought that they could rely on their ridiculous strategy of bigger more powerful engines (because that is really what consumers want) that were slightly 'cleaner'. Burning money on this instead of investing in electric cars, clearly the future.
It's depressing but hardly surprising, because whenever scandals break, all they seem to do is play musical chairs with their boards of directors. And so many at the top sit on each other's supervisory boards. Conflicts of interest galore! This industry is rotten to its core.
4
Interesting article. Looks like it was an environmental organization that sued and it was upheld by the courts. Very familiar - "industry leaders are stunned" and some people want to continue to drive their cars even though levels of pollution are increasing and affecting human health. During a recent trip through southern and central California I placed a tissue over my nose because of a temperature inversion with very high levels of low-hanging smog; surely caused by automobiles - each car with a single driver traveling at high rates of speed, paying little attention to the road. I felt like it was a dream - a very bad one, but it was 'reality'. Kudos to Mr. Niess for his activism.
10
Excellent move. The health of it's people must take precedent.Make it a truly livable city instead, by banning all individual vehicles, with a model mass transit system to distribute people smoothly and safely. And don't forget the bikes, they can stay. And the scooters too. Without the right thoughts, how can we expect eventual paradigms from occurring?
4
electric cars, yes.
sustainable mobility, yes.
autonomous cars, no thanks. i still want to drive myself.
9
Watch episode one of "Dirty Money" on Netflix to get the full effect. It delves very deeply into this topic and illustrates the degree to which car companies will develop smoke and mirrors that evade emissions standards. It's alarming. These bold restrictions are a good way to show the automotive companies who's boss.
12
yes, Germany got rid of nuclear reactors, but replaced it with surface-strip mined brown coal, whose vast operations consume entire towns. I'd hardly call that environmentally friendly.
5
Who cares about other emissions? Diesel vehicles emit less CO2 than gasoline engines. Isn't that what we should care about more?
3
Something similar is happening in major cities in France, where pollution levels are also very high.
6
I liked the content of the article, but I disapprove of using terms like bipolar and schizophrenia, incredibly serious and often debilitating diseases, to describe anything other than mental health issues.
4
I'd love to live in a car-less city center. Hate those trucks too.
7
Once a majority of Daimler stock is owned by Chinese, it’ll be interesting to see if Germany continues to toe the corporate line.
1
Looks like diesel cars are to Germans what guns are to Americans. One just kills faster than the other.
16
You are absolutely right.
That was the analogy that occured to me when I heard about your latest school-shooting session.
We had to wait for a decission made by judges, not by our government.
You must be aware, that the first party that calls for such a potential ban, risks its success in upcomming elections. So many diesel drivers have a say in my Germany as you gun owners in the USA.
8
Very enlightening article. I cannot comprehend the resistance to lower emission standards in a country so otherwise dedicated to cleaner energy.
17
"I cannot comprehend the resistance to lower emission standards in a country so otherwise dedicated to cleaner energy."
There will continue to be cars in the countryside and on roads outside of cities built for efficient use of cars and buses. The problem to be solved is the inner cities and suburbs. Cars are not very efficient and not very environmentally friendly in the inner cities in particular. Inner cities have the advantage in the possibilities of building efficient mass transit elevated or underground light rail system, that can be controlled by a computer, just like an elevator in a larger building. The car makes the loop and stops at whatever station is call 24 hours a day/night. There must also be a connecting point between parking facilities outside the city, to make an efficient transfer from countryside to city rail system.
If there is a will there is a way to get the city rail system built. Half way systems with buses should never be considered, where it will be rejected by the public due to severe inefficiency. I have lived with both and know from experience what works.
2
Isn't it more unthinkable for a major city in the U.S. to ban cars? After all, there's enough mass transit in Germany to replace the car trip, but not in the U.S.
21
Germany is 85% the size of California, yet has twice as many people. they can get by because of population density. Also, they didn't ban "cars" they plan to ban "diesel engines"
1
I don't believe they are banning all cars. The linked article states: "The court further found that when emissions exceeded the allowed limits, banning all vehicles with diesel motors older than those approved in 2014 and gasoline-burning engines older than those approved in 2001 was the only way for the municipal authorities to ensure air quality."
So basically, any diesel vehicle made in the last 4 years and gasoline cars made in the last 17 years are still acceptable. This is a big deal in Germany where so many cars are predominantly diesel. Presumably all hybrids and electrics will get a free pass.