Provisional agreement on 2020 CO2 targets for vans

Brussels, 27 June 2013 – Yesterday’s provisional agreement between the European institutions on the 2020 CO2 emissions targets for vans could hinder investments in future clean technologies, says the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), which is currently studying the full details of the deal.
The target for vans of 147g CO2/km is very ambitious, with independent research showing that it will necessitate full hybrid technologies. Given the current economic climate with plummeting van sales, it is difficult to invest extra cash upfront in more costly technologies for the future.
Lower production volumes also do not allow for the same economies of scale as for cars. Furthermore, there is a huge diversity between Class I, II and III vans, meaning that there are few ‘one size fits all’ technological solutions. “In this context, super-credits provide concrete incentives for manufacturers to invest billions of euros in ultra low-emission vans, despite there being extremely low consumer demand for these at the moment,” stated ACEA Secretary General Ivan Hodac.
Indeed, according to the European Environment Agency only 1% of vans sold last year were liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas, and just 0.5% were electric. Hodac: “Super-credits are one of the only EU-wide support mechanisms for innovative, clean technologies. If they are removed from the package, Europe will become one of the only major vehicle-producing regions with extremely limited incentive schemes for fuel-efficient vehicles. This will clearly put us at a strong disadvantage on the global market.”
The compromise decision still needs approval from the member states and the European Parliament.
About ACEA
- The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) is the Brussels-based trade association of the 14 major car, van, truck and bus producers in Europe.
- The ACEA commercial vehicle members are DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ford Trucks, Iveco Group, MAN Truck & Bus, Scania, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, and Volvo Group.
- Visit www.acea.auto for more information about ACEA, and follow us on www.twitter.com/ACEA_auto or www.linkedin.com/company/ACEA/.
- Contact: Cara McLaughlin, Communications Director, cm@acea.auto, +32 485 88 66 47.
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About the EU automobile industry
- 13.0 million Europeans work in the automotive sector
- 11.5% of all manufacturing jobs in the EU
- €374.6 billion in tax revenue for European governments
- €101.9 billion trade surplus for the European Union
- Over 7% of EU GDP generated by the auto industry
- €59.1 billion in R&D spending annually, 31% of EU total