Retrofitting with soot particle filters for diesel passenger vehicles
VDA welcomes increased support – Further steps needed
July 17, 2009, Frankfurt am Main. "The direct state payment for retrofitting with diesel particle filters is an important stopgap measure in order to increase the attraction of state subsidy. Therefore the VDA explicitly welcomes the new, improved opportunities for support as a measure with immediate effect ", the VDA-director Dr. Thomas Schlick declared. Beginning on August 1, 2009 instead of a limited suspension of the automobile tax of up to 330 Euro, a direct state payment can be applied for. The support is realized via the "Federal Subsidy Program for Particle Reduced Diesel Passenger Vehicles ", but is only available until the end of 2009. "The current decision corresponds to the demands of the VDA", according to Schlick. "In fact there there were less retrofittings than expected. The German supplier firms offer a comprehensive range of retrofitting solutions. If we want to rapidly achieve an environmental and health policy steering effect, we must all pull together in order to give the customer the opportunity to take advantage of retrofitting."
"However the current granting of a cash subsidy is only a first step. The support must be extended in time and increased, especially since the funds originally set aside were not used ", Schlick went on to demand. "This has to be a priority task for the new legislative term."
In order to reduce diesel vehicle particle emissions, retrofitting with modern particle reduction technology has been supported for some time. Owners of new vehicles registered before January 1, 2007 who retrofit their vehicles with particle reduction technology that achieves certain levels of particle reduction, receive a limited tax exemption of 330 Euro. The tax exemption is available for retrofittings done in the time frame from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2009 and is in effect until the sum of 330 Euro has been reached.
Since the tax exemption can extend over a longer period of time, the Bundestag has now created the opportunity to take advantage of the retrofitting subsidy of 330 Euro as a direct cash subsidy. As a result, from August 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009 vehicle owners may choose between a cash subsidy and a limited passenger vehicle tax exemption.
