4 ms·

Agree, I think it's the opposite: the car industry needs to be pushed by the politicians, otherwise they are complacent and don't innovate. I still think the

• Reason077 10y ago
  I still think the strict environmental regulations pushed by the green party a few years back gave the German car makers an edge over the US competition. And they complained a lot back then. Huh? Automotive environmental regulations are much stricter in the US compared to Europe. German, and other European, carmakers have an appalling environmental record, and have for years been getting away with pretty much ignoring the (already weak) EU environmental regulations. Just look at Volkswagen. Or, just try to breathe the air in London, Paris or other big European cities where the stink of Diesel fumes has become more and more pervasive in recent years.
  • cesnja 10y ago
    That's only a part of the picture. Fuels are heavily taxed in Europe, partly due to the environmental impact that cars have. As a result, you really don't see those >4L engines in cars, in fact anything above 2L is rare. While I agree that diesel cars have nothing to do in cities, they are still superior on highways and for longer drives.
    • Reason077 10y ago
      It's a mistake to assume there's a direct relationship between fuel efficiency and environmental performance. Diesel cars are more efficient than conventional petrol vehicles, but at the cost of significantly worse air pollution.
  • jagermo 10y ago
    With "a while back" I meant from '98 until 2005 (after that it was Merkel only). Yes, VW is atrocious, but trust me, it was worse in the 90s.