Cars in the city – illustrative photo.
Berlin – The current draft of the new European emission standard for Euro 7 motor vehicles could mean the end of available smaller car models. The influential German car club ADAC is worried about this, according to which the standard would make smaller cars disproportionately more expensive. Representatives of the automotive industry, which traditionally has a strong position in Germany, also have reservations. Environment Minister Steffi Lemke stood up for the industry and said in an interview with the Stuttgarter Zeitung that the federal government is critical of, among other things, the extremely short implementation periods of the current draft standard.
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“Regulations must support mobility, not prevent it,” said Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing in an interview with the DPA agency. According to him, the current form of the proposal will lead to the fact that the increase in the cost of car production will make passenger car transport a luxury, which will also have an impact on the climate transformation of the automotive sector.
Representatives of the automotive industry talk about the fact that the draft standard of the back door to ban internal combustion engines and that the Euro 7 proposal will threaten jobs. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) has warned that 300,000 jobs may be at stake in the European car industry. According to this association, the standard could make cars more expensive on average by 2,000 euros (47,000 CZK) and undermine demand.
News show Tagesschau reported that the German Ministry of Transport estimates the cost of mid-range and high-end cars to increase by up to 400 euros (CZK 9,500). In the case of diesel engines of light commercial vehicles, the increase would be up to 900 euros (CZK 21,000), for heavier commercial vehicles, it would then be necessary to expect an increase of 2,500 to 4,000 euros per vehicle (up to 95,000 CZK).
The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) fears that the new form of the standard would cause disruptions in production and supply. According to the VDA, it would not be possible to develop and approve a sufficient number of vehicles that would meet the requirements of the standard in such a short time.
According to the Munich daily Merkur, the German automobile concern Volkswagen also has significant reservations, according to which the standard in its current form would had a negative impact on employment in the European automotive industry. Volkswagen also dwells on specific emission test criteria.
“It doesn't help air quality to measure the emissions of a new internal combustion engine at full throttle, with a horse trailer attached and in first gear on a mountain pass in the Alps,” Merkur quoted Volkswagen as saying.
Also critical are the German regions of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony, which are referred to as car countries thanks to their strong automotive industry. The prime ministers of these federal states called on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz not to accede to the current Euro 7 plans. According to the trio of prime ministers, the new standard must be technically and economically feasible and must also take into account the development cycles of car manufacturers.
If the rules are approved by the member states of the European Union and the European Parliament, the standard for new passenger cars should apply from mid in 2025, for cargo two years later. The aim of the standard is also to harmonize the limits for petrol and diesel cars. Vehicles will have to comply with it for twice as long as the existing standards, and in addition to exhausts, it will also apply to brakes and tires. In addition, vehicles should have sensors that allow emissions to be checked at any time. Emission limits are also newly set for previously unregulated pollutants, such as nitrogen oxide emissions from heavy goods vehicles. The standard is also supposed to regulate the lifespan of batteries with the aim of increasing consumer confidence in electric cars.
The Czech government and the Senate also have reservations against the proposal for the Euro 7 emission standard. He decided that if the current form of the proposal is not changed, it could fundamentally threaten the future of the automotive industry in the Czech Republic and cause serious economic and social impacts.
