German Minister Lashes Out at Carmakers

German Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin hit out at German car makers in general and Volkswagen, the country's biggest in particular, in a newspapepr interview published Tuesday. Trittin, whose relationship with car makers has never been an easy one, criticized the auto industry for continuing to produce fuel-guzzling models that few people wanted. "My interest is that the German auto industry remain competitive," Trittin said in an interview published in Süddeutsche Zeitung. "It can do so by making fuel-saving cars, not big fuel-guzzlers that the market doesn't want." He also pointed the finger at Volkswagen chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder and VW's supervisory board chief Ferdinand Piech. "Here are two people who are responsible for the fact that 10,000 VW employees are about to lose their jobs," Trittin said. "At a time when China is introducing upper limits for fuel consumption and only gas-powered taxis are only allowed in New Delhi, VW is rolling out a Bugatti that guzzles 100 litres of fuel. That's a mistake that encapsulates the essence of the crisis at VW." Trittin complained that he had ordered a diesel-driven Audi, VW's luxury brand, but that it could not be delivered until October. "Perhaps I should have just taken a French model," he said.