The European Commission is preparing a major economic stimulus package that could include 20 billion euros ($22 billion) to offer consumers in the 27-nation bloc incentives to buy environmentally friendly passenger cars, German daily newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported.
Details of the subsidies for car purchases have not been finalized. Discussions are still taking place and there are disagreements over how to define “clean cars,” the paper paper said, citing an internal EU document. In the U.S., there has not yet been movement toward a similar “Cash for Clunkers” initiative.
The German transport ministry is pushing to include cars that emit 140 grams per km, far above the 2021 fleet emission target of 95 g/km. This would mean buyers of crossovers such as the Volkswagen Tiguan with a 148-hp engine would qualify for a subsidy, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung said.
Such a move would be “completely unacceptable,” Stef Cornelis, from the Brussels-based lobby group Transport &…
