The Volkswagen Group rolled out a new diesel swapping program in Germany. 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 are announcing details of brand-specific programs. For example, the Volkswagen brand said its environmental incentive for new vehicles ranges between €1,500 and €8,000, depending on the model. 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. 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, more than 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 more than 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.
Several brands within the Volkswagen Group will swap Euro-1 vehicles of any make to Euro-5 diesel vehicles made by the group for cash incentives worth between €1,500 ($1,700) and €8,000, depending on the model traded in. The offer, which is already available, is open to diesel car owners in 14 cities with high pollution levels and their surrounding areas. It follows a scheme that ran from 2017August 2017 to June 2018 to June 2018 that replaced more than 210,000 old diesel vehicles with cleaner models. In August 2017 to June 2018 more than one million low-emission Euro-6 diesel cars hit Germany's roads.