German car companies: Emission measures will hurt European automakers

In a move some would say is similar the the U.S. automakers stance on revised CAFE standards for light trucks and passenger cars, the major German automakers are in opposition to a requirement to lower emissions standards by producing smaller cars with smaller engines. Just as Lutz was quoted on his blog as stating that "Forcing us to alter the fleets to hit some theoretical average won't change what consumers want, or what they'll buy", German automakers claim that "the German industry, which makes most of its profits from large, fuel-hungry cars, would be penalized unfairly" and that emissions "measures would amount to a massive industrial political intervention at the expense of the entire European, and especially the German, automobile industry."

This was all stated in a last minute lobbying effort and a letter, which also included this statement, "The direct consequence would be the migration of a large number of jobs from the automobile manufacturers and the supplier industry in Germany." The message was directed to Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission.

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, was also persuaded to lobby on their behalf. It worked. The revised bill cites "other ways of reducing emissions, such as increasing the take-up of biofuels, educating motorists about fuel-efficient driving and requiring roads to be smoother."

Related:

• Lutz: "Forcing us to alter the fleets to hit some theoretical average won't change what consumers want, or what they'll buy."

[Source: The Australian]