German car companies: Emission measures will hurt European automakers
In a move some would say is similar the the U.S. automakers stance on revised CAFE standards for light trucks and passenger cars, the major German automakers are in opposition to a requirement to lower emissions standards by producing smaller cars with smaller engines. Just as Lutz was quoted on his blog as stating that "Forcing us to alter the fleets to hit some theoretical average won't change what consumers want, or what they'll buy", German automakers claim that "the German industry, which makes most of its profits from large, fuel-hungry cars, would be penalized unfairly" and that emissions "measures would amount to a massive industrial political intervention at the expense of the entire European, and especially the German, automobile industry."
This was all stated in a last minute lobbying effort and a letter, which also included this statement, "The direct consequence would be the migration of a large number of jobs from the automobile manufacturers and the supplier industry in Germany." The message was directed to Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission.
Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, was also persuaded to lobby on their behalf. It worked. The revised bill cites "other ways of reducing emissions, such as increasing the take-up of biofuels, educating motorists about fuel-efficient driving and requiring roads to be smoother."
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[Source: The Australian]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Scatter 11:49AM (2/06/2007)
BMW and VW make some very clean cars so it's within their capabilities (but of course they'd have to ditch their high end models). I hope the EC stands up to their lobbying but somehow I think they won't.
So as an alternative, in place of a fixed CO2 target how about binding year-on-year reductions of CO2 emissions from each manufacturer's current sales weighted average. That would be fair for all.
They need to be forced into doing something because the voluntary agreement has failed dismally.
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Lucien Takar 11:49PM (2/06/2007)
I agree with the government imposing more strict emission standards. It seems like every time the government steps in to try and do something right, the auto makers just bully the government into submission. What happen to having a back bone or standing up for what you believe in?
It seems all we hear these days is whining from the politicians and the big bad bully (auto makers) just pounds them when the wimp (government) tries to stand up for himself. We just need someone in power to stand firm with his/her decision and not back down each time there is a threat from the auto makers.
They seriously disappoint me.
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ThwartedEfforts 3:30AM (2/07/2007)
I don't know why you're referencing a "revised bill" because the bill is unchanged. If anything, the EU is actually likely to make the rules stricter, raising its target C02 reduction to 130 grams per kilometre compared with 160 grams currently. This would affect all cars sold in Europe from 2012.
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Mike 10:10AM (2/07/2007)
Lucien;
I agree totally; politicians seriously disappoint me also, although I suspect for very different reasons than yours.
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