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Brussels (dpa) – The EU Commission has indications on new European automakers' tailpipes. These could have specifically targeted CO2 emissions, a greenhouse gas damaging to the climate, so that they should meet less stringent specifications in the long run.
This is stated in a letter issued Wednesday by the relevant EU commissioners to the EU Member States as well as to the representatives of the European Parliament. First, the "Handelsblatt" had spoken about it.
The evaluation of government data from EU countries showed that manufacturers could have used the transition phase to the WLTP standard to "exaggerate their WLTP emission levels for 2020", indicates the letter. This would mean that even 2021 lower CO2 emission targets should be achieved. With which manufacturers this procedure has been determined, it is still not clear. The German car industry has rejected the practices.
The New European Standard WLTP ("Test Procedure for Harmonized Light-Duty Vehicles Worldwide") is a procedure for measuring exhaust gas testing in cars, designed to provide more realistic values . The surveys are more in-depth and take longer than in the previous NEDC procedure. From 1 September, only new cars that have pbaded the WLTP procedure will be allowed.
According to the circles of Brussels, the difference between measured and actual values was on average 4.5% and 13% maximum. During tests carried out under the supervision of the authorities, the vehicle battery was completely empty and the automatic start-stop system had been switched off. This estimated that about five percent more fuel was consumed. This coincides with the report of the "Handelsblatt".
Elzbieta Bienkowska, EU industry commissioner, who had previously appeared in court in the scandal of diesel exhaust gas regarding excessive levels of nitric oxide with several car manufacturers, also talked about the new allegations. "It seems that some industry players have learned nothing from the diesel scandal," she told Handelsblatt. Suppliers should develop no-emission cars instead of exploiting flaws in new tests. Kirsten Lühmann, transport expert of the SPD parliamentary group, told the newspaper: "Such tips should be avoided as part of the new EU-wide CO2 regulation."
Since the 2021 and 2030 emission targets are also the starting point for those of 2025 and 2030, "such an increase would lead to a reduction in actual emissions in the target years," writes the European Commission . This could lead to not achieving the EU's CO2 reduction targets. Brussels had suggested in November that new cars should emit 15% less carbon dioxide by 2025 and 3030 by 2030.
The Automotive Industry Association (VDA) rejected the suspicion of artificially inflated CO2 levels. The German manufacturers have made every effort to achieve by the year 2021 the limit applicable at the time of 95 grams CO2 per kilometer on average of new cars sold. "Higher fuel consumption would be counterproductive and make it harder to reach the target." In addition, higher CO2 levels could mean that many large customers would buy more vehicles because of low CO2 fleet limits.
Also Volkswagen has clearly distanced itself. For the brands of the group could be "excluded that newly calculated CO2 values according to WLTP are artificially increased". The higher levels of WLTP CO2 are the values that motorists should pay taxes in the future. "With an artificial increase in WLTP CO2 levels, we would make our vehicles less attractive to our customers." In addition, measurements would be made by independent institutes.
In the perspective of the diesel business, VW CEO Herbert Diess had recently stated that "ethical standards have become crazy in the group or have become out of sight". In front of the leaders, he demanded a solidly rooted awareness of good and evil and a culture of constructive contradiction. He also called for resilient structures that "ensure irreproachable and consistent behavior". It's only in this way that VW could regain confidence.
Various parties and pressure groups strongly criticized the builder . "The proven tips show that CO2 limits alone are not enough to convince rebel builders to better protect the climate," said Tobias Austrup, traffic specialist at Greenpeace. The Minister of Transport, Andreas Scheuer (CSU) must "with a clear plan for the exit of diesel and gas ensure that the fraud finally stops". The environmental protection federation BUND has accused carmakers of missing the state of readiness for innovation.
Oliver Krischer, vice president of the Green Group in the Bundestag, said: "The car manufacturers can not be deceived. (…) We finally need an independent review of the manufacturer's information on the consumption of fuel." Ingrid Remmers, spokesman for transport for the left group in the Bundestag said that the fraud against customers has established in the automotive industry as a model of "the business". business. "As fouling of exhausts have little to fear from the federal government, they continue to cheat to the detriment of citizens and the environment."
Information from the European Commission on new emission targets
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