Many of Germany’s top figures have a history with the car industry, including the chancellor, Angela Merkel, and regulations have been lax as a result, writes Noah Barkin.

In 2014, European car sales rose for the first time in seven years as buyers replaced aging vehicles with low-cost ones. The market’s revival from a two-decade low is set to continue in 2015.

EU regulators are preparing draft legislation that will require vehicle fuel use to be tested on roads rather than in laboratories, looking to close loopholes that allow car makers to exaggerate fuel-saving and emissions credentials.

Christoph Meier, a sound engineer at Mercedes-Benz, typically spends time making engine noise less jarring. For the carmaker’s new electric models, he’s had to do the opposite — create sound.