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France may scrap diesel fuel subsidies in wake of VW scandal

Now that a particular German automaker has sneezed, it appears that French automotive subsidies will catch a cold. Count France among the growing legion of countries not happy about Volkswagen's admission that some of its diesel vehicles contain software that will artificially reduce emissions levels during testing. As a result, the French government is talking about reducing or eliminating diesel subsidies that make diesel fuel about 15 cents per liter (roughly 89 cents a gallon) cheaper than gas. The change would tax gas and diesel at the same rate. France may end the diesel tax credits as soon as the next fiscal year, Bloomberg News says, citing comments from French Environment Minister Segolene Royal this week. About two-thirds of the cars on France's roads are diesel, according to the CCFA, the French automaker association. In fact, diesels accounted for more than half of the new light-duty vehicles sold in Europe last year. That may drop to 35 percent by 2022 in part because of the scandal, according to automotive consultant LMC Automotive. Things could change even more France is considering letting more vehicles qualify for the 10,000-euro incentive for switching from old diesels to new plug-in vehicles. Last month, VW said that its cheater software might be installed in as many as 11 million vehicles, forcing the German automaker to set aside $7.3 billion to address the fallout from the scandal. Among other issues, VW and its Audi division were stripped of its Green Car of the Year Awards for the first time in the history of the awards bestowed by Green Car Journal. The scandal also forced Martin Winterkorn to resign as VW's CEO last month after eight years on the job and is delaying a number of the automaker's upcoming projects. Related Videos: News Source: Bloomberg NewsImage Credit: Mic V./Flickr Government/Legal Green Volkswagen Emissions Diesel Vehicles vw diesel scandal France subsidies

2023 New York Auto Show Live Updates: Hyundai's surprise, Nissan's super stand, '24 Wrangler

The 2023 New York International Auto Show shifts into high gear Wednesday, April 5, and our reporters are already in the city, with events unfolding even as we speak. We'll being seeing cars in person, interviewing automaker insiders and snapping photos of vehicles and all the other oddities that pop up at an event like this and we'll be giving you live updates and color from the show floor along the way.  Ram, Hyundai, Subaru, Kia, VW and Jeep are all expected to show something new this week, and other automakers are known to be hosting off-site events that may produce news — expected or otherwise. Genesis has already revealed its GV80 Coupe, for example, along with the fact that it has been confirmed as a production model. And we're just getting started.  Read on below for our observations from the show floor and points beyond: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.     Green New York Auto Show Genesis Hyundai Jeep Kia RAM Subaru Volkswagen Concept Cars Electric Future Vehicles

Weekly Recap: Volkswagen moves forward under Muller

Most stunning was the speed of it all. On the morning of September 18, Volkswagen AG stood atop the automotive world. It was profitable and sold more cars than Toyota and General Motors, its two main rivals for global supremacy. By nightfall, the company would be embroiled in scandal. Revelations the German auto giant cheated on diesel emissions testing in the United States reverberated from Washington to Wolfsburg, Germany. What started out as a problem with 482,000 VWs and Audis in the US exploded into an international scandal. Millions of vehicles have the rigged software, meaning VW broke environmental rules as its cars spewed pollutants all over the world. The fallout began immediately. Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn – one of the most respected and capable executives in the business – apologized on Sunday and Tuesday. On Wednesday he resigned. As the week progressed, the company's stock took a beating and credit agencies threatened to drop their ratings. VW dealers and owners said they felt betrayed. The automaker hired a law firm that defended BP after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The EPA is already extending its testing procedures to look for "defeat devices" like the ones used by Volkswagen. On Friday the company announced a major restructuring. Matthias Muller, Porsche's chief for the last five years, took over as CEO of Volkswagen and is charged with picking up the pieces of a shattered company facing regulatory action and lawsuits. With GM, Toyota, and Takata scandals still fresh, Volkswagen will likely experience unprecedented levels of scrutiny. Additionally, VW's markets in the United States, Canada, and Mexico will be combined into a North American region under the leadership of former Skoda boss Winfried Vahland, though US chief executive Michael Horn will stay on. The company is also realigning its brands by specialty and streamlining its board. Firings, government action, restructurings, and international outrage – things that usually build up over months or years – all occurred in about a week. With dizzying speed, Volkswagen's future has changed dramatically. It all happened, it's still happening, so fast. OTHER NEWS & NOTES 2016 Buick Cascada to start at $33,990 Buick hasn't made a convertible in 25 years. That's a whole person who can drink plus a kindergartner. So it's been awhile. Enter the 2016 Buick Cascada. It has top-shelf Opel engineering, slinky design, and it's reasonably priced.