Umwelthilfe Celebrates Success Against Smart

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

Smart is no longer allowed to advertise its diesel with the addition “with a particle filter”. In the legal dispute with Deutsche Umwelthilfe, the parties reached an out-of-court settlement.

Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has prevailed. A good month after the association had warned the Daimler-Chrysler subsidiary Smart for misleading advertising for the two-seater diesel model Fortwo cdi, the parties reached an out of court agreement on Friday. They followed a suggestion by the Stuttgart Regional Court after the oral hearing on June 30th. "We have prevailed on all points that are important to us and are very satisfied with this solution," said DUH Federal Managing Director Jürgen Resch after the agreement.

Extensive waiver

In the agreement, Smart undertakes to add the words “open system” or “PM catalytic converter” in the same line to the addition “with diesel particulate filter” or to the addition “with” when advertising the smart fortwo cdi with the current engine Diesel particle filter »to be waived without replacement.

In addition, Smart will no longer advertise that a “PM catalyst with diesel particulate filter” will be used in the Smart Fortwo cdi. Smart also undertakes not to claim that consumers will “receive tax breaks in some countries” because of the diesel particulate filter for this vehicle, as long as there is no legal basis for this.

Technical clarification by Smart

Smart also undertook to provide potential customers with a comprehensible explanation of the particle reduction in the technical description accompanying the advertising and in the AISA Internet information system in connection with the mention of the diesel particle filter in the Smart Fortwo cdi (efficiency in reducing the number of particles 30 - 50 Percent) the basic technical differences to a closed diesel particulate filter are communicated.

All Smart sales outlets will be informed again at short notice about the special features of the open particulate reduction system in the Smart Fortwo cdi, the basic technical differences to a closed diesel particulate filter, and will be informed of the corresponding training.

Requirement to Zetsche

Resch asked Daimler-Chrysler boss Dieter Zetsche to keep the promise made by his predecessor Jürgen Schrempp to equip all diesel cars of the Mercedes Group with a closed particle filter. This commitment also includes the Smart. The DUH was alarmed by rumors that the next diesel smart model year 2007 should also come onto the market without a regulated diesel particle filter.

“When Smart equips the next Fortwo with a less effective particulate reduction system. we will ensure with further creative initiatives that this does not remain hidden from potential customers,”said Resch.