Germany's transport minister says the government is ordering automaker Daimler to immediately recall 238,000 vehicles equipped with software that turns off emissions controls under certain conditions.
Minister Andreas Scheuer made the statement Monday after a meeting with Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche. Scheuer said that Daimler was willing to work "with cooperative transparency" with the government and "at maximum speed."
Dieter Zetsche, CEO of German car maker Daimler arrives for a meeting at Germany's Traffic and Infrastructure Ministry in Berlin on Monday, June 11, 2018. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)
Scheuer said the recall was ordered after "intensive and hours-long negotiations" with Daimler.
The affected vehicles include the Mercedes-Benz Vito delivery van and the Mercedes GLC 220d and C220d.
Europe-wide some 774,000 vehicles are affected, the ministry said. The ministry statement did not say whether those cars outside of Germany would be recalled.
FILE - In this Aug. 2, 2017 file photo Harald Krueger, CEO of German car maker BMW, Dieter Zetsche, chairman of German car maker Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz cars and Matthias Mueller, CEO of German car maker Volkswagen, from right, attend a so-called diesel summit in Berlin. German government officials and automakers met to discuss the future of diesel vehicles. (Axel Schmidt/Pool Photo via AP, file)
Diesels have been under heavy scrutiny since U.S. authorities caught Volkswagen using illegal engine control software that turned off diesel emission controls in everyday driving. Subsequent investigations showed that other automakers had exploited European regulatory loopholes that allowed emissions controls to be relaxed at certain temperatures to avoid engine damage.
Daimler said in a statement only that it "confirmed the recall" and added that "open legal questions will be clarified in appeal proceedings." The company had earlier said that it contested the legal basis for the finding that the Vito's engine controls were disallowed.
Daimler has already announced a voluntary recall of some 3 million diesels to install a software fix intended to reduce emissions.
Diesels are additionally under more pressure as German cities with excessive pollution levels contemplate limited diesel bans to come into compliance, under pressure from environmental groups. The city of Hamburg introduced a ban on older diesels on two streets suffering from excessive pollution levels on May 31.
The Stuttgart-based automaker has said the U.S. Department of Justice has inquired about the company's emission certification processes, and that German prosecutors in Stuttgart are investigating Daimler employees on suspicion of fraud and criminal advertising. The company says it is cooperating with authorities.
BERLIN (AP) — Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has extended his contract by two years, taking him beyond the upcoming European Championship and through the 2026 World Cup.
It also rules out Nagelsmann returning to Bayern Munich, which is looking for a new coach for next season after deciding to part ways with Thomas Tuchel at the end of this season.
Nagelsmann was the reported favorite following Xabi Alonso’s decision to stay with Bayer Leverkusen. Bayern has to look elsewhere after two high-profile rejections.
Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeness confirmed Nagelsmann had been a candidate for Bayern — “one of several” — in comments to local broadcaster BR24. Hoeness added he respected Nagelsmann's decision. “It’s a shame but it doesn’t mean the end of the world for FC Bayern,” he said.
The German soccer federation announced on Friday that its supervisory board and shareholders decided unanimously to keep Nagelsmann in charge of the national team after Euro 2024, which Germany is hosting.
“He's on the wish list of many big clubs across Europe,” federation president Bernd Neuendorf said of Nagelsmann.
The 36-year-old Nagelsmann has overseen a change in mood in Germany after wins over France and the Netherlands following a shakeup of the team last month. He was hired in September on what was initially a short-term deal through to Euro 2024 to fix a run of poor games under predecessor Hansi Flick.
Nagelsmann said staying with Germany was “a decision of the heart. It’s a great honor to be able to train the national team and work with the best players in the country.”
Bayern fired Nagelsmann in favor of Tuchel in March 2023. Bayern went on to win the Bundesliga that season, but only on goal difference after an uneasy start to Tuchel's tenure. This season, Bayern failed to win the title for the first time since 2012 after Bayer Leverkusen won its first title last Sunday.
Tuchel's team is still in contention in the last four of the Champions League after beating Arsenal in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Speaking on Friday ahead of playing Union Berlin on Saturday, Tuchel dismissed any speculation that his team's success in the Champions League could lead to him staying past the end of the season. “I have an agreement with the club. It’s been communicated and still stands," he said.
The two key management figures involved in Bayern's decision to fire Nagelsmann a year ago, Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic, both left the club shortly after. Bayern's new sporting director Max Eberl said on Wednesday that the search for a new coach was entering “the final phase” in comments reported by the dpa news agency. He didn't name any candidates.
Nagelsmann's Germany is on the up after losses last year to Turkey and Austria put the coach under some pressure. Nagelsmann has three wins, one draw and two losses from six games, all of them friendlies.
Germany knows extending a coach's contract ahead of a tournament can backfire.
When Germany gave Joachim Löw a new four-year deal a month before the 2018 World Cup, it was a vote of confidence in the coach who led the team to the World Cup title four years earlier.
Germany went on to exit the 2018 tournament in the group stage and Löw eventually left in 2021 following a loss to England in the round of 16 at the European Championship.
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FILE - Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann during the international friendly soccer match between Austria and Germany at the Ernst Happel stadium in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has extended his contract beyond this summer’s European Championship by two years through the 2026 World Cup. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
