First Dieselgate, Then Dieselban: Germany Invented the Diesel Engine But Is Now Starting to Ban It

Hamburg has become the first city in Germany to implement a ban on older diesel trucks and cars, following a key ruling a few months ago.

The ban, which came into effect on Thursday, only affects two roads, but it’s a big move nonetheless in a country where the auto industry is both key to the economy and a focal point for the “Dieselgate” emissions scandal. The diesel engine, in fact, is named after Rudolf Diesel, the German engineer who invented it.

Germany’s federal administrative court ruled in February that cities could ban diesel vehicles from polluted areas, despite the opposition of Germany’s federal states. The move knocked the share prices of German vehicle manufacturers, who the court said did not need to be compensated over the ban. read more »

Tesla that crashed into police car was in 'autopilot' mode, California official says

If confirmed, it would be the third time a Tesla in autopilot has crashed into a stationary emergency vehicle this year.

This month, a Tesla Model S , echoing a similar incident in January, when the same model collided with a stopped firetruck on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles county. read more »

Germany threatens Daimler with $4.4B fine over emissions

750,000 Mercedes vehicles could be affected

German Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer has threatened to fine carmaker Daimler 3.75 billion euros ($4.4 billion) over a diesel emissions scandal, Spiegel magazine reported on Friday.

The report comes after Scheuer on Monday questioned Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche in a closed-door meeting over how many Mercedes-Benz vans and cars need to be fixed after a regulator found illegal software in one of its models.

Spiegel, citing no sources, said Scheuer expressed concerns that a total of 750,000 Mercedes vehicles could be affected and that the ministry could impose fines of up to 5,000 euros per car. read more »