The FIA today has welcomed the EP Environment committee’s backing for ambitious CO2 targets up to 2020 and in the longer-term, as well as a new test cycle by 2017. The FIA Region I office is a consumer body representing 71 Automobile Clubs and their 35 million members in Europe.

Ambitious Targets

“The Environment committee has taken an important step towards ensuring that passenger cars continue to become cleaner and more fuel efficient, not only up to 2020, but also beyond”, said the Director General of FIA Region I, Jacob Bangsgaard.

The committee backed the 95g target for 2020, and set an indicative target for post-2020 of 68–78g from 2025.

Revised Test Cycle for Emissions

“The committee’s support for a new Test Cycle by 2017 is something we have been pushing hard for, and is very welcome. We need to act now to close the growing gap between the measurement of emissions during type approval and the level of real emissions,” said Mr Bangsgaard.

The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has found that this gap has increased from about 8% in 2001 to 21% today. The current test procedure takes place in laboratory conditions, and does not account for everyday usage factors such as the ‘cold starting’ of an engine, mileage covered on motorways, use of air conditioning, and so on.

Supercredits

Mr Bangsgaard said, “On supercredits, the committee has backed a sensible compromise which will ensure that the overall target for 2020 and beyond is not unduly weakened”.

The committee supported the assigning of a favourable weighting to cars that emit less than 50g of CO2. Within each manufacturer's balance, each of these extra clean cars would count as 3.5 cars in 2013, falling to 1.5 from 2016 and 1 from 2024. Any increase in the emissions target for each manufacturer deriving from the “super-credits” calculation would be capped at 2g. Furthermore, MEPs also say it should not be possible to transfer any unused super-credits from one year to another.

Notes to Editor

ENVI Vote

MEPs approved the draft law setting out rules for achieving the 95g target (rapporteur Thomas Ulmer, EPP, DE), by 47 votes to 17 with 1 abstention, but also added indicative targets for post-2020 CO2 emissions: a range of 68 to 78g from 2025.

These emission limits are the average maximum allowed for car makers registered in the EU. Makers producing fewer than 1,000 cars a year should be exempt from the legislation, say MEPs. Car makers would therefore have to produce, in addition to older, heavier or polluting models, enough cleaner ones to achieve a balance of 95g en 2020, on pain of penalties.

MEPs say that the new UN-defined World Light Duty Test Procedure (WLTP) should replace today's procedure in EU law "as a matter of urgency", and if possible by  2017, on the grounds that the WLTP better reflects the real conditions in which cars are used.

Next steps: Mr Ulmer will now lead negotiations with EU ministers, after the committee backed a proposal to open negotiations by 46 votes to 17 with 2 abstentions.

For more information, please contact Niall Carty, Communications Manager, FIA Region I: ncarty@fia.com or 02 282 0812