There are more and more classic cars on the roads in Germany. Although they do not get an environmental badge, they are still allowed to enter the German environmental zones. In this way, they contribute massively to air pollution.
They are beautiful to look at and part of our cultural history: classic cars! There are currently about 800,000 in Germany. This is more than 8% more than a year ago. The most popular classic cars are Mercedes vehicles, followed in second place by the VW Beetle. Most people are enraptured at the sight of these vehicles and feel transported back to an earlier time - to the beginnings of the car for everyone and the associated feeling of freedom.
In order for a vehicle to be classified as a classic car, it must be at least 30 years old and contribute to the preservation of the "motor vehicle cultural heritage". It must also be largely in its original condition or professionally restored. This also applies to the engine and its associated emissions. Vehicles contribute enormously to air pollution in cities. Because while, for example, diesel vehicles with Euro standards 0 to 3 are banned in the environmental zones in Germany, exceptions apply to classic cars, so that they are generally allowed to enter without any problems.
And it is not only the number of classic cars that has increased in the past year. The number of cars as a whole is continuously increasing. The car is and remains the Germans' favourite means of transport. There are now almost 50 million vehicles in this country.
The results of a survey should also give politicians food for thought: about three quarters of the car owners surveyed say they cannot do without their car to stay mobile. Comparisons of the means of transport used in Germany show that the car is indeed indispensable for most people. Over 75% of transport in Germany is personalised individual transport. Not even 10% falls to local public transport.
The figures speak for themselves. Germans love the car and need it in many places in their daily lives. This is also because politicians do not offer any alternatives. At the same time, there are more and more driving bans in Europe. In Germany, however, the rules in the environmental zones have not changed for a long time. Just like the mentality of Germans and their love of cars.
And the number of dirty cars in the cities keeps increasing along with the old-timers. What are the alternatives? Should the classic cars be banned in the environmental zones? Or do we accept the dirty air in order to preserve the history of the car as a cultural asset?