Germany seems to have taken an even stronger stance against diesel engines with reports that suggest that the German Transport Ministry is in talks with automobile manufacturers to update engine management software on their diesel vehicles. This recall, if issued, is likely to affect more than 12 million vehicles in the country.
A report in Reuters quoted sources that said the Ministry was in discussions with the major auto industry associations VDA and VDIK as well as representatives of the local government to cut back on NOx pollutants by up to 25 per cent.
Reuters claims that it can cost anywhere between 1.5 to 2.5 billion euros to effectively materialize this recall, a cost that the auto manufacturers are being pushed to incur. Vehicles conforming to Euro 4, 5 and 6 norms are also expected to be a part of the recall.
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In a crisis that seems to have precipitated from the wake of the Volkswagen Diesel Emission scandal in 2015, the country has taken a series of steps to actively reduce harmful emissions from diesel engines. So much so that a few cities including major auto-manufacturing hubs like Stuttgart and Munich have revealed plans to prohibit the entry of diesel vehicles on certain days to curb pollution. The country has also set an ambitious target of eliminating internal-combustion engine powered vehicles by 2030.
More details are expected to trickle out with the auto majors being pushed to present their solutions before the country heads for elections in September this year.