Merkel reaffirms her million e-vehicles pledge

Merkel said she would invite local governments to a meeting on Sept 4 to discuss toxic emissions.

BERLIN: Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed to speed up Germany's transition to electric vehicles, saying in an interview on Wednesday that efforts would need to be increased if a target of having a million such cars on the roads by 2020 were to be met. 

With Germany's largest industry struggling to mend its reputation after a diesel emissions scandal, Merkel said comments she had made in May had been misinterpreted as meaning she had abandoned the electrification target.