Schneider promotes electric cars – and drives a 13-year-old diesel himself

Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider is promoting the switch to electric cars and believes the combustion engine will be phased out in the long term. In his private life, however, the SPD politician still drives a diesel. “Privately we drive a 13-year-old diesel,” Schneider told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung”.

When asked why he, as Environment Minister, drove an old diesel, Schneider replied: "I don't need a new car right now. But when it comes time to buy a new car, the rational decision is to switch to an electric car. People are doing that now too."

The minister was convinced that electromobility would prevail regardless of political guidelines. As he says goodbye to the combustion engine, he is now “more relaxed,” he said. "The time will come when the combustion engine will only be a hobby at best. Like when I'm working on my old Simson so I can take it for a spin at the weekend."

Schneider is also critical of German car manufacturers' renewed investments in combustion engines. When asked whether Mercedes and Porsche were on the wrong track, he said: "That's how I see it. Into the potatoes, out of the potatoes - that's rarely a smart strategy." In any case, he will “not protect species for combustion engines, as some in the car industry imagine.”

At the same time, Schneider defended the state's support for electric cars. Sales have increased by 75 percent since the introduction of a socially tiered premium, he said. There is enough money for the funding program for the coming year. He cited high fuel prices as another reason for switching to electric cars.

Nevertheless, the Environment Minister considers the current cap on gas station prices to be appropriate. In the short term, people would have no opportunity to switch. However, the federal government does not want to permanently make fossil fuels cheaper. "We have to credibly tell people: oil and gas are becoming more expensive. Please prepare for this and consider, for example, whether an electric car might be cheaper."

When it comes to European CO2 trading for transport and heating, Schneider wants to stick to the planned start in 2028. At the same time, he spoke out in favor of lower electricity prices in order to make the switch to more climate-friendly technologies more attractive.