BMW’s Hometown, Munich Considering Banning Diesel Vehicles

Munich is considering a diesel vehicle ban since nitrogen oxide in the city has risen drastically.

By Rajkamal

Published: Wednesday, June 14, 2017, 19:24 [IST]

German carmaker BMW's hometown, Munich, is considering banning diesel vehicles as nitrogen oxide levels have risen to shocking levels. The news was announced by the Mayor to Süddeutsche Zeitung, a newspaper.

Mayor Dieter Reiter said, "As much as I would welcome avoiding such bans, I think it is just as unlikely that we can continue to do without bans in the future." Speaking about nitrogen oxide levels, the Mayor said, "The results are shocking, nobody expected this."

The diesel car market has seen a sharp decline after Volkswagen's Diesel Gate scandal broke. Before that, almost half of the new cars running in Germany were diesel powered vehicles. The strong demand for diesel vehicle has lead Mercedes, Volkswagen, and BMW to heavily invest in diesel plants and development.

When the new diesel ban comes into effect, around 1,33,000 to 1,70,000 vehicles in Germany could be affected, depending on how strict the ban is. The only cars that would be exempt are the ones that would meet Euro 6 norms.

DriveSpark Thinks!

The ban on diesel vehicles is welcomed but should be implemented in a way that it does not affect vehicle owners now. Announcing benefits for those who turn in their polluting cars could encourage people to adapt to the ban slowly.