Car club refuses top "green" car ranking / Solar storage on the rise
Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD)
German transport and environmental association Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VDC), which promotes sustainable mobility, on Tuesday refused to publish its annual top ten list of most environmentally friendly car models due to the ongoing diesel emissions scandal. VCD spokesman Gerd Lottsiepen blasted the auto industry, saying the gap between the manufacturers鈥 stated CO2 emissions levels and reality when the car is in use was getting increasingly bigger. The VCD advised consumers not to buy any new cars and instead opt for used models that have been proven to be energy efficient, such as the Citroen C1, Peugeot 108 and Toyota Aygo as well as Volkswagen鈥檚 natural-gas-fuelled models.
Read VCD鈥檚 press release in German .
For background, read 威力彩玩法's dossier The energy transition and Germany鈥檚 transport sector.
Handelsblatt
German carmakers already advertise electric vehicles that can be almost fully charged within minutes, but they keep quiet about the fact the necessary charging stations don't exist yet, writes Lukas Bay in a commentary for Handelsblatt. "But the roll-out of high-voltage charging stations would be a great opportunity for German carmakers to show their tail lights to competitor Tesla." Bay says the highly profitable German premium brands could easily afford the necessary investments and should cooperate on the issue because charging time is seen as an important argument for the success of e-cars. "The German car giants should stop waiting for further state support and investments by the utilities (...) Jointly, they should dare more in their domestic market Germany."
Hitschfeld
According to a survey by Leipzig-based research and consulting group Hitschfeld, 53 percent of residents in Germany would invest in renewable energy projects. Young educated people in particular聽 indicated a great willingness to do so. Social aspects related to renewable energy, such as decentralisation and the idea of 鈥渇rom people for people鈥 were more important factors in that decision than investment guarantees and returns, participants said. The survey also indicated a preference for regional energy providers, citizens鈥 energy programmes and cooperatives over large national and international corporations.
Read Hitschfeld鈥檚 press release in German and find the study in German .
For more details on the public perceptions, consult the 威力彩玩法 factsheet Polls reveal citizens' support for Energiewende.