THE European Commission has proposed a tough new law to cut average CO2 emissions from vans.
The motor industry remains committed to the continued reduction of road transport emissions but the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is now urging European policymakers to make the legal framework more supportive and realistic in a move towards a low carbon economy.
The Commission wants to set van makers a fleet average target of 175g CO2/km or 42.8mpg from 2014, phased-in to 2016.
With seven-year product development cycles in the van and light commercial vehicle market, the industry feels the lead-times are too short to allow the delivery of affordable products to the market.
Across the EU, demand for vans fell 35 per cent this year. UK demand is down 39 per cent for the first ten months of 2009 and is forecast to end the year 37 per cent down on 2008 but some other EU countries, like Spain, are much worse.
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