EU backing off on tight CO2 emissions limits
It looks like the German automakers may be getting at least some of what they were looking for in the new European CO2 regulations. Car-makers like Porsche, Mercedes, and Audi have been pushing for scaled-back limits on CO2 emissions based on vehicle size, a change that would allow them to continue making big, powerful cars. The European government is split in two parts. The European Commission is the regulatory arm while the European Union is the legislative body. The Commission is pushing for a 120 g//km fleet average limit by 2012, something that French and Italian companies are content with since they make a lot of smaller, diesel-powered cars. To appease the Germans, the EU wants to make the limit 125 g/km with a 2015 deadline. Apparently the politicians who comprise the EU parliament have decided that at least the German automakers need more time to meet the new requirements. Once the EC and EU do reach agreement on new regulations, it could be another two years before they are implemented.
[Source: Motor Authority]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Egisto Soldi 7:50PM (10/27/2007)
It will be a neverending battle: UE against car companies. First ask too much; others offers few. My opinion, in Italian: http://autoinsight.blogosfere.it/2007/10/smog-unione-europea-versus-case-automobilistiche-altro-impatto.html
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mike 9:03PM (10/27/2007)
That's great but the arctic melt isn't waiting for these screwballs.
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why not the LS2/LS7? 10:01PM (10/27/2007)
IIRC, the guy who is converting it is the same guy who claimed he's gonna put a turbine in an H2 Hummer and get 60mpg and 600HP or whatever.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/10/20/biodiesel-turbine-super-capacitor-series-hybrid-hummer-60/
Believe it when you see it.
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why not the LS2/LS7? 10:03PM (10/27/2007)
Oh darn, wrong article for the link above.
I'm disappointed to hear about this backtracking. It's too bad even the EU body can be bought off.
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Mikael Johansson 4:46AM (10/28/2007)
Yes, I guess a lot of autoindustrie money goes to fill upp the EU-politicians large pockets.
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Jesse McKinney 3:35PM (10/30/2007)
"The European Commission is the regulatory arm while the European Union is the legislative body"
Actually, The European Commission is kind of like the U.S.'s executive branch and cabinet. They have a bicameral system with the parliament and body of ministers. There is also their European judiciary system which has more of a say on legislation than the U.S. does. It's kind of complicated, but could be considered more democratic in certain ways. Thanks for the post.
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rgseidl 12:05PM (10/28/2007)
Once again, ABG gets its facts badly wrong. The European Union comprises the EU Commission, the EU parliament and the Council of Ministers, plus other institutions.
It is the EU Parliament - not the European Union - that approved a motion to set the limit at 125gCO2/km by MY2015. This would be instead of the currently proposed 130gCO2/km limit by MY2012, which the industry cannot meet because of manufacturing lead times. Observers expect it will be 2009 before any law is finalized. The EU parliament proposal drops the woolly 10gCO2/km "equivalent" reduction by way of biofuels, tire pressure monitors and low-resistance tires.
The German car industry wants weight-based classes with a different emissions target for each one, which would merely create an incentive to make cars even heavier. The EU parliament's foray hopes to nip that in the bud.
More seriously, no-one is presently advocating an update to the overly lenient NEDC, e.g. by switching to the Common Artemis Drive Cycle (CADC). As EPA knows only too well, once you have mandatory fuel economy targets in place, it becomes very difficult to tighten up the test procedures.
Note that only the EU Commission can formally propose directives (as EU laws are known), so this recent vote is really more of a suggestion to influence the Commission's thinking at this preparatory stage. The Commission is currently made up of one representative from each member state. National governments get to nominate candidates but they have to pass confirmation hearings by the EU parliament.
Once the Commission does present a draft directive, it and any modifications to it have to be approved by both the EU parliament and the Council of Ministers, i.e. the governments of the member states. There's a complicated mechanism for arbitrage if a consensus is out of reach but I won't bore you with it.
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