EU carmakers offer another 20pc cut
FRANKFURT/BRUSSELS: European carmakers have offered a further 20 per cent cut in average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for their vehicles in the next round of European Union goals being drawn up, but said full compliance should wait until 2030 and remains conditional on consumer uptake of electrified cars.
The industry needs a “clear and foreseeable time frame” for emission goals beyond 2021, when a new limit of 95 grammes of CO2 per km is due to enter force, said Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche, who chairs ACEA, the main European carmakers’ association.
Europe’s powerful car industry has come under fire since Volkswagen (VW) admitted to cheating on emission tests in the United States, with the head of the European Commission voicing
“shock” at its behaviour in a speech on Wednesday.
The scandal has prompted the European Commission to seek tougher controls over the industry’s emissions.
It is expected this year to pre- sent a proposal for new CO2 standards for cars and vans for beyond 2020 to help achieve the blo c’s overall go al of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030.
The further 20 per cent cut proposed by ACEA would reduce average CO2 emission goals to 76 grammes per km.
Full implementation of these goals, however, should depend on consumer uptake of new models of electric and rechargeable hybrids, said Zetsche at the Frankfurt car show. Reuters