Car makers are worried about EU imposed emissions and electrification targets and the prospect of random on-road tests being conducted at any time, writes Robin Roberts.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association has voiced its serious concerns about the outcome of the European Parliament’s plenary vote on future CO2 reduction targets for cars and vans.
“We remain particularly concerned about the extremely aggressive CO2 reduction targets and the imposition of sales quotas for battery electric vehicles that MEPs have backed. “The vote risks having a very negative impact on jobs across the automotive value chain,” stated ACEA Secretary General, Erik Jonnaert. ACEA also takes note of the fact that there was a very tight majority vote on some crucial issues. There is no guarantee that there is the the right enabling framework in place to facilitate this sudden transition to electromobility, he said, adding that the present recharging infrastructure is severely lacking, and consumer incentives to purchase the more expensive electric vehicles remain unharmonised across the EU. “Consumers cannot be forced to buy electric cars, without the necessary infrastructure or incentives in place,” Erik Jonnaert explained. “We can only hope that national governments bring some realism to the table when adopting their common position on the future CO2 targets next week.” The European Parliament voted for a 20% cut in CO2 emissions from new cars and vans in 2025 and a 40% reduction in 2030, in a bid to speed up the electric car revolution and secure jobs in Europe. | European NGO federation Transport & Environment (T&E) welcomed the vote as a crucial step towards cleaner air, less imported oil and more jobs, but warns that the agreed ambition still falls short of what is needed to avoid catastrophic global warming and to meet Europe’s climate commitments under the Paris agreement. The majority of deputies from the EU’s elected chamber comprehensively rejected the European Commission’s inadequate proposal of a 30% cut in 2030 compared to 2021 emission levels. Parliamentarians show they are more serious than the Commission about meeting the EU’s climate targets and creating investment certainty for battery and hydrogen vehicles in Europe by supporting a sales target of 20% in 2025 and 35% in 2030. This incentive for selling EVs comes with penalties for failing to meet the sales targets, a key policy instrument the Commission dropped from its proposal after last-minute lobbying by German carmakers. Julia Poliscanova, clean vehicles manager with T&E, said, “Despite an unprecedented lobby effort by the oil and car industries, the European Parliament has voted decisively to require carmakers to make their cars cleaner and sell more electric and hydrogen vehicles. “This vote is good news for the climate, for jobs in Europe and for the millions of Europeans who will start to enjoy cleaner air in their cities.” |
MEPs also voted in favour of introducing real-world checks on emissions from cars and vans to stop manufacturers cheating tests. Following the recent discovery that carmakers are already finding ways to manipulate the results of the new WLTP laboratory test, MEPs have sent a clear message that regulators expect emissions cuts to be delivered on the road as well as in the laboratory.