After a tough battle, there is an agreement of the government in the Diesel dispute: those Affected can choose between the conversion premium and retrofitting. But much is vague, says auto expert Stefan Bratzel.
Deutsche Welle: Mr Bratzel, what is the agreement on the Diesel-compromise now means for the German car maker? This is the great liberation, or might come additional obligations on the auto makers? So far, it’s only the vehicles in a particularly polluted regions in Germany.
Stefan Bratzel: The concept certainly goes in the right direction, that the conversion offers at least both options as well as exchange premiums. But it is, of course, the exact design is. Some limitation is certainly the restriction of the action to certain regions. And it depends, of course, in Detail in, for example, in the case of exchange premiums, how high they are because actually. And on the topic of hardware retrofit, it is very strong, for how many models of such hardware retrofitting are possible in principle and can be offered.
The policy also States that of the foreign manufacturers ‘ similar offerings are expected. But what if the does not provide now? BMW and Opel have already announced that they will offer a retrofit. Exercise of the government options pressure or driving bans in the end?
Peofessor Stefan Bratzel believes that the Diesel is still dead.
The pressure will surely be on the foreign manufacturer’s lower. The German manufacturer can exert the pressure very much greater, because the German manufacturers are in need of the Federal government in the future, for example, in the negotiations to the topic of CO2 emissions in Europe. But it is a Problem that the import to pull your part out of here. But it’s been a start made with the concept of the Federal government, but now needs to be further compressed, so that a wide implementation of these measures actually takes place.
Has the German government for any possibility of pressure on foreign car manufacturers?
The pressure that the Federal government can exert on foreign car manufacturers, is comparatively low. This has already been shown in the attempt of the Minister of transport, to pull Fiat to account. Here there was a direct hilt that Germany would have nothing to say.
Dirty air by Diesel not only in German towns and cities. Threaten the car manufacturers according to the current approach by Germany, in other countries, perhaps similar measures?
A Domino effect is at least in Europe, are conceivable. Here in Germany, now quite extensive discounts and also Hardware retrofits will be initiated and it could actually come in countries such as France, Italy and other countries have similar demands on the table. And then it gets really expensive for the German car maker.
Exchange premiums motivate, the old, dirty Diesel against a newer, cleaner to replace. But what happens to the old diesels? Which are probably still somewhere on the road…
Yes, in the case of the Euro 5 diesel engines, it is not economically viable, these vehicles to scrap. These are vehicles that are between three and nine years old. The have a relatively high value. These vehicles are likely to be within Europe. This is not to say that these vehicles will disappear, and you continue to meet the relatively high nitrogen oxide levels. This is just part of the problem, it has solved many years ago correctly, by approved cars only been on the test bench are measured. And you have to live with now.
In view of this diesel crisis and possible driving bans: What is the future of the diesel drive in your opinion?
I think that the diesel drive, in particular in the Truck sector, but also for the larger vehicles of the upper class – the so-called SUV still has a future. The fact is, Yes, there is the clean Diesel. It only costs a little more, because the exhaust gas cleaning according to technically more complex. That is possible, the appropriate, independent studies show. But the competitiveness of the Diesel is due to the higher costs compared to gasoline-fueled cars bad. Therefore, the peak of diesel technology will certainly be exceeded note.
Stefan Bratzel, a Professor for automotive Economics at the University of applied Sciences in Bergisch Gladbach.