German court backs diesel cars city bans

A top German court yesterday ruled in favour of allowing major cities to ban the most heavily polluting diesel cars, a move set to hit the value of 12 million vehicles in Europe’s largest car market and probably force carmakers to pay for costly modifications. There has been a global backlash against diesel-engine cars since Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to cheating US exhaust tests, meant to limit emissions of particulate matter and nitrogen oxide (NOx), known to cause respiratory disease. While other countries are also considering restrictions on diesel cars, a ban in the birthplace of the modern automobile is a new blow for the car industry, and an embarrassment for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government. Merkel’s government, which has come under fire for its close ties to the car industry, had lobbied against a ban, fearing it could anger millions of drivers and disrupt traffic. The ruling by the country’s highest federal administrative court came after German states had appealed against bans imposed by local courts in Stuttgart and Düsseldorf in cases brought by environmental group DUH over poor air quality. The court yesterday rejected the appeals by the state governments and...