Giving Automakers a Break on CO2 Emissions
EU Legislators Greenlight Loosened Carbon Emission Standards for Automakers - Car manufacturers receive permission from Parliament to lessen the restrictions on CO2 emissions.
Looks like the EU's got its foot on the gas pedal for car manufacturers, Slackin' emission rules for '22! The ol' boss lady, Ursula von der Leyen, has proposed a relief period, lettin' makers offset their carbon dioxyde emissions from '22 motor vehicles with the CO2 values from the subsequent two years. Miss the mark this year? No sweat, you can make it up in '26 and '27.
These rules apply to the fleet limits, or guidelines that determine the average CO2 amount that new vehicles can emit. Each manufacturer's got their own numba, and these numbas are designed to reach zero by 2035, phases out internal combustion engines new cars. Companies like Volkswagen and Renault are strugglecity to keep up, callin' for a lil' leniency in Brussels, 'cause missin' EU targets could land 'em some hefty fines.
The 27 EU member states still need to stamp their approvals, but they've already agreed, ya heard? In addition, manufacturers can duck penalties by teamin' up with competitors in so-called pools, with an average limit applyin'.
Now, the far-right clowns in the European Parliament tried to pull a fast one, submitin' proposals to axe the 2035 ban on new internal combustion engines, but they didn't get enough votes to make it happen. In the long haul, even the European People's Party (EPP) around the CDU and CSU is aimin' to move away from internal combustion engines.
It's gonna get messy when the new German government does their review of the law at the end of the year. The Union wants to keep it as is, but the SPD's ain't bitchin'. Both sides can only agree on a vague statement in the coalition agreement, so keep your eyes peeled for another showdown!
- EU
- European Parliament
- EU Parliament
- Strasbourg
- Ursula von der Leyen
- Fleet Limits
Tightened 2025 Emission Limits
- New cars: 15% lower than 2021 limit (93.6g CO2/km)
- New vans: 15% lower than 2021 limit (153.9g CO2/km)
Targeted Emission Levels
- 2030: 55% reduction for cars, 50% reduction for vans compared to 2021 levels
- 2035: Zero emissions for both cars and vans
Recent EU Parliament Actions
- Allowing manufacturers to average CO2 emissions over a three-year period (2022-2024) instead of complying with the targets annually
- Using urgent procedure for the change to provide carmakers with more flexibility
- No definite decision on whether the flexibility measures have been approved as of the latest updates
- The European Parliament, situated in Strasbourg, has agreed to allow automakers to average their CO2 emissions over a three-year period from 2022 to 2024, following a proposal by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission.
- This relief period is designed to help car manufacturers meet the stringent emission targets set by the European Parliament, specifically the target of zero emissions for both cars and vans by 2035.
- The European Parliament's decision to grant this flexibility comes as car manufacturers are struggling to keep up with the tightened 2025 emission limits, with new cars required to emit 15% less CO2 than the 2021 limit.
- The European Parliament has also used an urgent procedure for this change to provide carmakers with more flexibility in meeting these emission targets.
- Despite attempts by some members of the European Parliament to axe the 2035 ban on new internal combustion engines, these proposals have not been successful, indicating a continued push towards environmental-science and the phasing out of fossil fuel vehicles in Europe.
