Report

Germany lobbies EU for emissions leniency to allow more gas-guzzlers

The German auto industry has been long lauded for its vehicles' achievements in speed. The German government is now saying the European Union's 2020 emissions mandate is coming up a little too quick for its liking.

Germany is lobbying EU officials to give some leeway to automakers such as Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, who all have vehicles known far more for sportiness than fuel efficiency. This comes from Reuters, which cites people familiar with the process that it didn't identify. The German government is proposing so-called "multiplier" credits, which are essentially extra credits for each low-emissions vehicle that the automakers produces that would offset the effect of the sportier, thirstier vehicles.

As it is, Germany's fleetwide carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are about 11 percent higher than Europe's as a whole and about 55 percent more than the fleetwide average of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer mandated for 2020 by the EU. European countries will save as much save as much as 83 billion euros ($109 billion) worth of fuel annually by 2030 because of the mandate, Reuters says, citing consultants Ricardo-AEA and Cambridge Econometrics.

German automakers have made their own news in regards to stricter emissions limits. BMW Chairman Norbert Reithofer last month said the 2020 EU limits are nearly "impossible" to meet without substantial additional investment in drivetrain technology. Meanwhile, Volkswagen had for a couple of years been accused of by Greenpeace of overstating the environmental benefits of some of its vehicles before getting back in Greenpeace's good graces earlier this year by pledging to meet the EU's 2020 emissions standards.

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