There are clean transport zones in 56 German cities, the so-called clean transport zones. Umweltzone To be able to enter them, you must have a car marked with a sticker confirming that it meets the required standards Obtaining such a sticker (the so-called Umweltplakette) is easy and does not cost much, there are severe penalties for not having one For some vehicles, there are exceptions to the general obligation to have a sticker , but electric cars do not belong to this group
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Mr. Jakub regularly travels privately and on business to Germany. Until recently, he drove there in his Audi Q5 with a diesel engine. As a conscious and experienced driver, he made sure that his car was equipped with a sticker confirming that it meets the Euro 6 standard and can drive in most of the “environmental zones” (German: Umweltzone), i.e. in the local clean transport zones. Recently, however, he went on a journey not by diesel, but by a freshly bought, electric Tesla 3, registered in Poland, on “green” registration plates. This is a car in which no one who has any idea about cars has the slightest doubt that it is an electric vehicle.
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A fine for entering the clean transport zone by electric vehicle
How surprised Mr. Jakub was when it turned out that he had to pay the equivalent of almost PLN 500 for “unauthorized entry into the environmental zone” in Frankfurt am Main. For the owner of an electric car, the matter was clear – this must be a mistake, because, among others, with the idea of promoting such ecological vehicles in Germany, clean transport zones (Umweltzone) were created many years ago. To clarify the matter, he went to the municipal road traffic office. There, however, he was told that the penalty is due, even though the car has an electric drive and belongs to the vehicles allowed to move around the zone.
Photo: Istockphoto The entrances to German clean transport zones are specially marked
What was the problem? Well, in Germany, even electric cars, including those equipped with special registration plates with a distinguishing feature indicating that they are emission-free vehicles (the letter “E” at the end of the registration number), must also be equipped with a sticker confirming that they meet the relevant emission standards. Showing documents confirming the “environmental character” of the car at the office does not give anything – the sticker on the windshield must be there and that’s it. And if it is not there, or even someone does not enter the car registration number on the sticker, then a 100 Euro fine, plus handling fees. You can’t win with bureaucracy. Meanwhile, obtaining a sticker is a formality – you can even get it by mail order or buy, among others, in local vehicle inspection stations for from 6 to approx. 20 Euro.
Photo: Auto Bild The letter “E” at the end of the registration number in Germany indicates that it is an electric car. It does not exempt you from the obligation of the environmental sticker
The Trabant can smoke, you will pay a fine for the Tesla
Mr. Jakub resigned himself to the unplanned expense and to the fact that the Germans take the issue of air protection in city centers very seriously. Until … The next day, however, he was shocked to see in the same area where he was fined for “unauthorized entry into the clean transport zone”, a rally of briskly smoking two-strokes from the DDR era, which was watched by representatives of the local security services. There was no question of fines, even though none of the cars had an “environmental sticker”, because they couldn’t. How is this possible? In Germany, many clean transport zones have exemptions for vintage and historic cars, provided they have the appropriate license plates. A Trabant can smoke with impunity, a Tesla without a proper sticker can be fined.
2023-07-19 12:55:00
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