It’s hard for Daimler to get involved. The German manufacturer can not guarantee that it will respect the European ceilings of CO2 emissions in 2021, estimated this Monday in Detroit its CEO, Dieter Zetsche, during a round table with journalists.
“I can not say that I guarantee that we will be compliant in 2021,” he said, in response to a journalist who asked him if Daimler would be able to comply with European regulations.
” It’s a huge challenge for everyone. That’s our intention, “he said,” but we can not guarantee it, “he explained later.
Fines of several hundred million euros
A regulation adopted in 2014 requires vehicle manufacturers selling vehicles in the European Union to reach within their ranges, with some adjustments depending on the situation, a level of 95 grams of CO2 emitted per kilometer by the beginning of 2021, compared to 130 grams in 2015.
If the manufacturers fail, they will pay 95 euros per car and gram of excess CO2. This could lead to fines in the tens or hundreds of millions of euros.
German manufacturers, whose large engines emit more CO2 than small models, are particularly struggling to achieve the goals, according to experts.
Promote electric vehicles
So far they have been relying on diesel to reduce emissions from their cars. But the fall in sales, accelerated by the scandal of the engine rigged Volkswagen, singularly complicates the task.
To reduce their emissions, all manufacturers are trying to hastily develop a range of electric vehicles, with no certainty about the real demand of consumers for these engines.
“It’s the difficulty of this kind of legislation. It forces suppliers and builders to do something but it does not force customers to do anything. Ultimately, it is the customer who will decide how the market will develop, “said Dieter Zetsche. AFP Source