Volkswagen Group to improve air quality in German cities through fleet renewal

• Successful environmental incentives for scrappage of Euro-1 to Euro-4 diesel vehicles again being offered throughout Germany
• Keepers of Euro-4 and Euro-5 diesel vehicles in 14 most heavily polluted cities to receive exchange premiums in additional to residual value of old vehicle
• Dr. Christian Dahlheim, Head of Group Sales: “The Volkswagen Group is making a significant contribution to improving air quality in German cities with this comprehensive package of fleet renewal measures. We are thus supporting the federal government’s efforts to prevent possible driving bans and offering our customers unrestricted individual mobility.”

WOLFSBURG, 19-Oct-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — The Volkswagen Group today rolled out a comprehensive package of measures to improve air quality in Germany through fleet renewal. The successful environmental incentives for scrappage of Euro-1 to Euro-4 diesel vehicles of any make are again being offered by some of the Group’s brands throughout Germany. Vehicle keepers in the 14 cities classified by the federal government as having the highest levels of pollution and in the surrounding areas will be entitled to the new exchange premiums. These premiums will be paid in addition to the vehicle’s residual value when trading in a Euro-4 or Euro-5 diesel vehicle of any make. The environmental incentives and exchange premiums come into immediate effect and are valid until further notice. The Group’s Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brands will be announcing details of their brand-specific programs.

Dr. Christian Dahlheim, Head of Group Sales: “The Volkswagen Group is making a significant contribution to improving air quality in German cities with this comprehensive package of fleet renewal measures. We are thus supporting the federal government’s efforts to prevent possible driving bans and offering our customers unrestricted individual mobility.”

The environmental incentives are being offered brand-specific throughout Germany for scrappage of a Euro-1 to Euro-4 diesel vehicle. The value of the incentive depends on the chosen model. Depending on the brand, the incentives are available for both new vehicles and on a varying scale for nearly-new used vehicles from the brand’s range.

The Group brands’ new exchange premiums apply for the 14 most heavily polluted cities and surrounding areas when trading in a Euro-4 or Euro-5 diesel vehicle and are paid in addition to the old vehicle’s residual value. The value of the premium depends on the chosen model. Depending on the brand, the exchange premium is available for new vehicles and on a varying scale for nearly-new used vehicles from the brand’s range.

These offers from the Volkswagen Group are directed at all keepers of Euro-1 to Euro-5 diesel vehicles in the 14 cities classified by the federal government and the surrounding areas. These keepers will shortly be receiving a letter from the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (German Federal Motor Transport Authority) informing them that they are entitled to take advantage of these offers available from participating dealers.

Volkswagen’s first environmental incentive from August 2017 to June 2018 successfully demonstrated that systematic fleet renewal is a swift and efficient way of improving air quality. Throughout the Group, over 210,000 old diesel vehicles were taken off the roads, scrapped and replaced by modern, cleaner models. In combination with the software updates for diesel vehicles, nitrogen dioxide emissions have thus been reduced by over 10,000 tonnes per year.

Independent studies (e.g. PTV Group, Center Automotive Research of the University Duisburg-Essen) indicate that fleet renewal is the most effective lever for swiftly improving air quality: in 2017 alone, 1.1 million low-emission new Euro-6 diesel vehicles took to the roads in Germany, replacing old vehicles. While the annual average limit value for nitrogen dioxide was exceeded in more than 65 cities in 2017, this is expected to be the case in only 30 cities by the end of 2018. As fleet renewal progresses, every second diesel vehicle is expected to be a Euro-6 model by 2021.

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SOURCE: Volkswagen AG