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