Scheuer also said VW, Daimler and BMW wanted to press ahead with trade-in incentives.

He added that German carmakers were also prepared to spend up to 3,000 euros ($3,429.60) per vehicle and that could include hardware retrofits.

He also said he would speak to foreign carmakers and added that they should match the efforts of German carmakers on the diesel issue.

(Reporting by Michelle Martin and Thomas Escritt, editing by Tassilo Hummel)