CO2 figures are ok, but do they reflect car production cycles?
The ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers' Association) has issued a note against the EU's plans to tax high carbon-producing industries and products. There is a proposal in the EU that would force automakers to pay 95 EUR per excess gram of CO2 per car. This would price a ton of CO2 emitted by cars at up to 475 EUR, more than in any other industrial sector.According to the ACEA, the problem is that the timeframe for the industry to adapt to the new rule is too short: up to 60 percent of the 2012 models are already in the development or even production process, which makes it impossible for the auto industry to reach the proposed goals in a timely manner.
ACEA also believes that the CO2 legislation should also take into consideration not only the pure carbon figures but other innovations the industry is implementing such as gearshift indicators, tire-pressure indicators, more efficient car lights, engine and transmission management. These innovations are likely to be included in further legislation that will be introduced in June but ACEA is afraid that the EU will restrict the fields in which they should work. Most automakers believe that a global approach to reduce CO2 should be followed, regardless of technology.
Related:
- European CO2 debate just getting started
- ACEA and voluntary CO2 notes in European car ads
- Euro carmakers welcome study on CO2 limits
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Bancho 7:04PM (2/28/2008)
Gearshift indicators! Wow that brings back some memories. My old Geo Spectrum had an upshift light that would drive me crazy. I'd forgotten about it completely till now. Thanks for opening an old wound :p
hehe
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rgseidl 7:46AM (2/29/2008)
Perhaps the EU should allow car makers to reduce the bill by buying CO2 emissions certificates from other industries. The basis for computation would be the official fuel economy data, an assumed annual mileage of e.g. 20.000km and, unit sales by model variant.
Alternatively, the EU could still switch from regulation at the point of production to fees at the point of pollution, i.e. the consumer. In a number of European countries, vehicle license fees are already based on fuel economy/CO2 emissions data from the official drive cycle. With tamper-proof odometer systems, this could be multiplied with actual - as opposed to assumed - annual mileage, yielding a fairer estimate of actual CO2 emissions. After all, 20.000km @ 120gCO2/km amounts to just as much as 10.000km @ 240gCO2/km.
The additional bureaucratic overhead would be minor, because cars in Europe are subject to periodic technical check-ups by certified mechanics. The odometer reading is already recorded as part of this process, which could also serve as the point of collection for the CO2 levy.
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