‘France against Mercedes, the summer’s astonishing power struggle’

German carmaker Mercedes has submitted an appeal to the French Council of State, in the wake of the introduction of a ban on some of its models in France.

Paris claims that Mercedes has failed to comply with a European directive, in force since January 1, 2013, which stipulates that vehicle air-conditioning systems must use refrigerants that are more environmentally friendly. The German carmaker has countered that the new generation of coolants catch fire more easily.

For Les Echos —

… the fact that France is the only country to block registrations for the moment has encouraged suspicions of protectionism [...] Although it may be a coincidence, the ban was announced just after Germany blocked negotiations on automobile CO2 emissions targets for 2020.