Car manufacturers in the European Union will have much longer to comply with the draconian targets set by the bloc’s lawmakers. They will no longer face the threat of massive fines for non-compliance as EU lawmakers voted to soften the CO2 Emissions rules this week greatly.
The manufacturers had been warning that the enforcement of the targets, which could have resulted in fines of up to 15 billion Euros this year alone, would hamper their ability to match the development of EVs currently on offer from China and the US by taking away scarce financial resources.
Some 50% of car owners regret their decision to buy an EV globally, and the only way to sell them is to greatly subsidise them. Sales have not been going well primarily because the cars lack character. Thus, forcing manufacturers to sell a product that wasn’t in demand was never a good idea.
The vote was taken after heavy lobbying from a group of manufacturers, who are trying to stop the enforced elimination of ICE powered cars by 2035.
The temporary reprieve is seen merely as a ‘breathing space’ to catch up with non-European competitors. Volkswagen was still not happy, though, stating that they would still be burdened by the law this year.
Instead of taxing consumers for individual CO2 Emissions, why not find a way to change the ways of big businesses like trucks, ships, and planes?
Is this just big business pushing the blame to consumers again, just like they convinced all of us that reducing plastic straws equated to saving the environment?
