Daimler will pay a $875 million or £681.30 million civil penalty for violating US clean air laws as part of a $1.5 billion settlement with US and California regulators over excess diesel emissions in passenger vehicles and vans, two people briefed on the matter said. It relates to claims over 250,000 US diesel cars and vans after the automaker used software to evade emissions rules. Former … [Read more...]
Newslines 30 June
About 10M cars are expected to hit UK roads at the weekend and head off for getaways, despite facing £60 FPN fines in Wales. Travel restrictions will be lifted in England but not Wales and the RAC says it expects a spike in breakdown calls and urges motorists to check over their cars this week before travelling. Carbon dioxide emissions from new cars in Europe rose for a third year running in … [Read more...]
Tradelines 24 June
Nissan and Renault have been dragged into a new law suit over alleged illegal emissions and defeat testing devices in UK cars. Up to 1.4 million cars could be involved claims law firm Harcus Parker, nearly all diesel but also 100,000 petrol engines, but the car makers have denied the claim and said they have fully complied with testing legislation. Italy is poised to guarantee the equivalent of … [Read more...]
Real world emissions show cleanest cars and vans
New real-world data on vehicle emissions will allow revitalisation of an automotive industry and global economy devastated by the COVID-19 outbreak but with cleaner air and reduced impact on climate change. The AIR Index at airindex.com identifies the cleanest cars to give buyers confidence to switch to cleaner vehicles and restore the automotive industry badly impacted by the pandemic. The … [Read more...]
EVs a third cleaner than conventional cars
Environmental group Transport and Environment has developed a tool that compiles all the most up-to-date data on CO2 emissions linked to the use of an electric, diesel or petrol car. It took into account all possible criteria such as the amount of CO2 emitted when electricity is produced or fuel is burnt, as well as the carbon impact of resource extraction for batteries or of building a power … [Read more...]
Fleets welcome Clean Air Zone moratorium
The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Associatio has welcomed the Government’s decision to postpone the implementation of Clean Air Zones until 2021. BVRLA Chief Executive Gerry Keaney said, “This is a very sensible decision in the current circumstances. It gives some temporary respite for businesses and individuals trying to come to terms with the current health crisis and gives the … [Read more...]
Penalties and problems looming for fleets
Thousands of vehicles and hundreds of fleets will struggle to meet incoming stringent emissions legislation and pay the price, a survey shows. Around 5.3% of company cars and vans being operated by customers of FleetCheck only meet the Euro 4 emissions standard or older, according to a new analysis. A further 18.2% of vehicles from the total sample of 85,792 also fall behind the latest Euro 6 … [Read more...]
Greens’ attack lobby groups over emissions bid
Environmentalists have criticised car makers and industry bodies for trying to stall EU plans to cut future exhaust emissions. Last week, all of the lobby groups of the European car industry - including manufacturers, suppliers, tyre-makers and dealers - wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pleading for a relaxation of cars CO2 targets. While the lobby associations … [Read more...]
Cardiff’s “valleys tax” faces challenge
Opponents of Cardiff’s controversial Clean Air Zone plan for the city will be heartened after a similar scheme for Coventry was rejected by the UK Government. The government’s dismissal of a charging Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in Coventry is the right decision for the local economy and the city’s long-term air quality prospects, according to FTA, the only business group representing all the logistics … [Read more...]
Mounting concern over Government “green plan”
The Government’s plan to bring forward the ban of petrol, diesel, and hybrid vehicles is ambitious, but does not have a basis on which to achieve it, said Brian Madderson, Chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association. Today, plans have been unveiled to move the date when non-electric cars are banned from 2040 to 2035, with a possibility of the date being brought forward further. The PRA believes … [Read more...]