Austria has once again found its attempts to protect itself from the effects of road traffic rejected by EU lawyers.
The European Court of Justice last month ruled that Austria’s emissions standards for used cars are illegal, as in some cases they require imported cars to meet stricter emissions standards than were in force when the vehicles were new. In a separate move, the Commission says it is taking legal action against Austria over a ‘disproportionate’ ban on lorries using the A12 transit motorway through the Inn valley.
The EU’s ‘small affordable car initiative’ could benefit consumers and the domestic car industry without compromising on safety and emissions savings.
European cities and civil society groups have warned that accepting lower US car standards will see more dangerous vehicles flood into Europe
Even in electric mode, PHEVs still burn fuel and emit 68g of CO2/km, on average. Their hidden fuel consumption costs the average PHEV driver €500 extr...