In Germany the winds of revolt are blowing against the decisions taken in Brussels on the subject of the ecological transition of mobility and transport. They come from Munich where the heavy vehicle giant Traton is based, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group which operates under the brands Man, Scania, Navistar and Volkswagen Caminhões & Ônibus.
As reported by the specialized magazine Automobilwoche, the CEO of Traton Christian Levin and the CFO Annette Danielski have raised the alarm about additional costs – in the order of billions of euros – which they know are linked to the Euro 7 emissions standard.
In an interview with the weekly Welt am Sonntag, the number one of the Man brand Alexander Vlaskamp said that “in the event that the law arrives as it is now expected, we will be burdened with enormous costs, around one billion euros, to invest in a expiring technology, even as we face a huge transformation.”
“The proposed rules to cut emissions are so strictly defined that in reality we will need more fuel which will reduce the nitrogen oxides only marginally” – explained Vlaskamp.
Instead of new emissions standards, the number one brand MAN has asked for subsidies to buy new Euro 6 trucks to replace older trucks. The industry, both car and truck manufacturers, is lobbying hard against the adoption of new emissions standards for combustion engines. A contrary ‘wind’ that also blows from Berlin, in the government sphere. Even as Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Green Party) insists that Euro 7 be launched within a year, Transport Minister Volker Wissing – who recently spoke of a mistake in charging the automotive industry to the manufacturers of commercial vehicles – has instead expressed all its opposition.
Future regulations, Automobilwoche reiterates, are contradictory on other limitations, which could also ‘hit’ 100% electric and hydrogen cars. In fact, the Euro 7 standard takes into consideration pollutants such as particulate matter due to tire abrasion and dust from braking systems, making even vehicles considered green ‘at risk’.
The states of the European Union and the Brussels Parliament will therefore have to renegotiate the project and agree on a common line. Currently, the Euro 7 rules are expected to come into force in 2025 for cars and in 2027 for transport vehicles and buses.
Source: Ansa
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