Germany's environment minister, Barbara Hendricks is calling for car manufacturers to update the hardware of Diesel-Cars to lower the emissions of nitrogen dioxide in cities.
ADVERTISEMENTGermany’s environment minister, Barbara Hendricks is calling for car manufacturers to update the hardware of Diesel-Cars to lower the emissions of nitrogen dioxide in cities, even though a study last year proved it was both ‘useless’ and ‘expensive’.
The Federal environment agency, which carried out the study, concluded that even if cars were ‘back-fitted’, it would barely make a difference.
Published in a German newspaper, it says “Hardware-Update of a significant percentage of Diesel-cars would hardly lower the concentration of Nitrogen dioxide.”
The study also revealed that manufacturers would have to pay 3.7 billion Euros to update the hardware, while the benefit in terms of health and environmental costs, would only be around 300 million Euros – ten times less.
The study had already been carried out last year and the findings, that it would barely work, and would be hugely expensive, were presented to Hendricks back then, nevertheless, she pushed forward with the plans.
Last week Hendricks again repeated her goal of creating cities with lower nitrogen dioxide levels and said manufacturers should quickly come up with solutions.
Software update not enough to make German #diesel cars cleaner, says German environment minister Barbara #Hendricks. #dieselgatepic.twitter.com/orbETlVICR
— DW | Politics (@dw_politics) August 23, 2017
Foolish to ask for more than #software update for #Dieselcars.#BarbaraHendricks, please abstain from ignorant comments!Learn from #engineerspic.twitter.com/vaJO4I1vhF
— Dr. Susanne Roeder (@winsusie123) August 24, 2017