Food security may be improved by new emission legislation from Brussels. The European Commission is proposing that car makers will be charged up to 95 euros for every g/km over 120 g/km emitted by their entire model range for every car sold. Car makers would be able to pool emissions figures of all their brands to lower the average.
These proposals - if implemented - would certainly concentrate some minds, as at the moment only the VW Polo Bluemotion comes in under 120 g/km. Proposals similar to this have been expected and is one of the reasons why companies like BMW have been investing heavily in systems to reduce emissions. As an example, the latest BMW 320 diesel uses some of the energy normally lost when braking to power electrical devices such as air conditioning. It also has a system to automatically stop the engine at traffic lights etc. These, together with an improved engine, bring emissions down to 128 g/km, which is excellent for a car of this size and performance.
Volvo have announced plans to make a hybrid car with the facility to charge up from the mains. It will do the equivalent of 120 mpg.
Predictably, car makers are trying to get the proposals watered down, but if implemented there will be a massive change in the attitude of both car makers and the car buying public.
These proposals are to be welcomed, but wouldn’t it be better to have a massive carbon tax to replace normal taxation. This would then tax aviation and stimulate rapid innovation as all forms of transport would compete on the same basis to rapidly cut emissions.