On April 2nd, U.S. President Donald J. Trump plans to sign executive orders imposing reciprocal tariffs on goods from many important regions, including the European Union.
A common argument that prominent politicians like U.S. President Donald Trump and his supporters use to defend these measures is that while Americans purchase certain European products like cars, Europeans do not buy the same goods at the same rate.
“The European Union was formed to screw the United States, that’s the purpose of it, and they’ve done a good job of it,” Trump told reporters at a cabinet meeting in the White House in February 2024.
“They’ve really taken advantage of us. They don’t accept our cars, […] They use all sorts of reasons why not, and we accept everything of them.”
In the same vein, Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo asked a question in response to an interview that aired with the owner of a Pennsylvania Dodge/Ram dealer who expressed concern about the administration’s tariffs.
“How many Dodge Rams do you see driving around Europe?” she asked. “How many Dodge Rams do you see driving around India? I mean, not many, I bet. Why? Because they don’t buy our cars, and that’s what President Trump is trying to change.”
Despite some Americans’ instances that other countries go tit-for-tat on trade, a German consumer association is making it their mission to make it harder for big, American pickup trucks to find their way on their roads.
Getty Images
American pickups are way too big and dirty for German roads, activist group says
In a lawsuit against Germany’s Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) or Federal Motor Transport Authority in English, the pro-environmentalist and consumer protection group Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V. (DUH) is looking to release information about the trucks that are being imported into Germany.
The group, which is better known as Environmental Action Germany in English-speaking countries, says that importers of popular American pickup trucks like the Ford F-Series, Ram 1500, and Chevrolet Silverado must apply for special permits to sell and operate such vehicles in the EU.
Related: General Motors made a covert move to disappoint loyal fans
The group finds that such vehicles are incompatible with European roads from a safety and emissions perspective.
According to DUH, these big machines emit up to nine times more CO2 than most EU-market cars and often lack mandatory safety systems.
Additionally, these trucks eclipse typical European-market runabouts in size. According to measurements compiled by car-size, the typical Ram 1500 is about 64.2 inches longer, nearly a foot wider, and nearly 19 inches taller than the best-selling car in Germany in 2024: the Volkswagen Golf.
To circumvent these pesky rules, importers and individuals apply for an “Individual Vehicle Approval” (IVA), which allows certain vehicles to bypass some basic EU regulations.
Initially, this was intended for specialty vehicles like converted vans for people with disabilities.
More Automotive:
- The most reliable new hybrids in 2025
- New car buyers are in for good news about inflated prices
- BMW’s newest Mini Cooper is a cool car for buyers on a budget
However, DUH finds that some German motorists are exploiting this loophole.
They note that 80% of the 4,025 registrations for IVA exemptions for pickup trucks in all of the 27 countries of the European Union during 2023 were made by Germans and that 3,000 such registrations alone were for one specific make: Stellantis’s (STLA) Ram.
By allowing these trucks to circumvent these regulations, DUH Federal Managing Director Jürgen Resch warns that Germans accept “Immense climate damage and an increased risk of serious traffic accidents.”
The environmental group previously asked the Federal Motor Transport Authority for more information about specific approval permits for these trucks. In court, they want the agency to release more data.
Ultimately, the group urges the German government to increase tax and parking restrictions on these imported pickup trucks and reduce the number roaming German streets.
Related: Veteran fund manager issues dire S&P 500 warning for 2025
