| German activists operating under the banner of the | | | | sports utility vehicle is highly sought after by |
| green lobby have taken to slashing tyres on high | | | | consumers, who obviously still remain to be convinced |
| performance vehicles in Berlin in order to 'educate' the | | | | of the benefits of buying a green hybrid car. So, |
| drivers of such vehicles. Each owner of the 80-plus | | | | despite targeting the manufacturer, it looks like they |
| vehicles that were subject to an attack in the last | | | | are not to blame as they are only responding to |
| week of July found a hand-written note under the | | | | consumer demand, and the market in Germany is |
| windscreen wiper detailing the dangers of carbon | | | | currently demanding high performance, high carbon |
| emissions, in particular from their type of preferred | | | | emitting vehicles. |
| vehicle. | | | | And it's not only Porsche who are the targets of the |
| Police investigating the incidents believe that they are | | | | car terrorists; Daimler and BMW are also accused of |
| the work of organised groups allied to international | | | | putting performance ahead of green issues. The fact |
| activists in France and Belgium who prefer to smear | | | | that a lobby of all three German manufacturers have |
| the vehicles with manure, rather than slash the tyres. In | | | | been successful in getting the EU to change their |
| what effectively amounts to war being declared on | | | | minds on carbon emission targets for vehicles doesn't |
| sports and utility vehicle drivers by self-styled | | | | help their cause in the eyes of the green lobby. In a |
| environmentalists, the 4 x 4 wheel vandalism highlights | | | | co-ordinated drive, the trio have managed to effect a |
| the frustration felt by the activists in the difference in | | | | change in the EU draft legislation resulting in carbon |
| the speed of progress on green issues between the | | | | emissions being categorised by vehicle size as |
| majority of German society and the German motor | | | | opposed to the original absolute target for all vehicles. |
| industry. While the population has readily adopted | | | | This means that the future for high performance |
| renewable policies, the car industry appears to be | | | | vehicles in Germany and the rest of the EU looks |
| dragging its heels. Porsche recently came under attack | | | | bright, despite the best efforts of the green lobby to |
| from Greenpeace, being labelled a "climate pig" by the | | | | effect change. |
| environmentalists for concentrating on power and | | | | However, whether wholesale slashing of 4x4 tyres will |
| performance over green issues in its product range. | | | | really persuade car-loving Germans to abandon their |
| However, despite recently introducing a hybrid engine | | | | prized performance assets, or make them even more |
| which promises to cut carbon emissions by 20%, the | | | | determined to not be brow-beaten by a minority of |
| German auto giant's own research shows that | | | | vandals remains to be seen. |
| demand for the green cars will be limited. Their V6 | | | | |