On August 2, 2017 German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt organized a “diesel summit” with leading ministers and state governors and with bosses from Volkswagen, Porsche, Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Opel and Ford. As increasing worries about possible bans on driving older diesel cars in some cities and wider questions over whether diesel as a technology even has a future  automakers promised that they will fit some 5.3 million diesel cars with new software, starting “in the coming months.” The VDA auto industry group said that applies to most diesel cars of types made since 2009. It said the aim is to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 25-30 percent, and the overall figure includes 2.5 million vehicles already being refitted by Volkswagen. German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks criticized VDA’s statement on measures offered at the summit, saying the  tone “was marked too little by insight and humility.”

Automakers also agreed to provide incentives to encourage drivers to get older vehicles off the road faster, Dobrindt said: BMW said it would give owners of older diesels registered before 2009 an “environment bonus” of up to 2,000 euros ($2,360) if they trade in their older car for a new electric or hybrid model, or for a lower-emissions internal combustion car meeting current standards.

In view of the recent court cases the German auto industry also is to contribute an unspecified amount to a German government “sustainable mobility fund” for cities aimed at using technology to make traffic flow better. Minister Dobrindt said the government will invest some 250 million euros more in modernizing city public transport fleets such as buses and taxis.
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-08-german-auto-bosses-politicians-mull.html#jCp