France, Germany working on CO2 agreement
Europe, 2012: The goal is to have cars that emit an average of 120 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
Europe, 2008: Wha?
Yes, the road to 120 is a tough one, but Reuters is reporting that two of the big players in the EU, France and Germany, are "making progress" on agreeing on how new low-CO2 legislation should be instituted. As in the U.S., automakers in the EU are fighting for more time before the rules go into effect. The loudest voices come from the Germans (Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz) because, well, they make and sell some pretty dirty cars, comparatively. French automakers, like Citroën/Renault, already have quite a few low-CO2 vehicles and so don't mind if the rules kick in earlier rather than later. There's no word on just what the agreement might be, but environment ministers from the EU will meet in Slovenia this weekend. Perhaps more rumor will trickle out then.
[Source: Reuters]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
rgseidl 11:17AM (4/10/2008)
The French are often quite creative in these situations. They might well give Germany's car makers more time if in return, Germany buys surplus nuclear power and some high-speed trainsets from French providers. Such a deal would cause quite a stir in Germany, though.
A useful foil for any delay would be a switch from the current NEDC drive cycle to the more accurate CADC in the 2015 time frame. If you change the yardstick, it's easier to persuade voters that the numerical limits have to be adjusted as well.
Reply