Most regulatory fights on vehicle emission regulations ultimately boil down to one iconic number battle. A few technical disputes get less attention but have a much bigger impact on the stringency of the new rules than a few percent up or down on the headline target. The ongoing discussions over car and van CO2 regulations for 2030 follow this pattern.

This blog was first published by EurActiv

By Stef Cornelis and Thomas Earl

Last spring Daimler/Mercedes, the world’s number one truckmaker, was caught with its pants down by the Deutsche Post DHL Group. During a testing day organised by DP-DHL, which was presenting its self-developed electric van, the StreetScooter, one of its vehicles being trialled by potential customers went way outside the test drive area, with its GPS showing it was en route to Stuttgart.

Greg Archer & Julia Poliscanova of Transport & Environment (T&E), first published in EurActiv.

There is a long history of bruising Brussels battles between left & right, or NGO’s & industry, over car emissions rules with millions of tonnes of emissions savings and billions of euros in investment at stake. The co-decision for the Commission's proposal for post 2020 car and van CO2 targets is shaping up to be another epic fight and a flick through MEPs amendments show strong divisions both between and within political groups. Member states are equally divided with Germany sitting on the fence and new, less corporate friendly, Governments in Spain and Italy expected to change the complexion of the Council debate. 

By Jeppe Juul and Nico Muzi on behalf of T&E’s Board and Secretariat

Last Saturday, our Board member and fellow activist Mariano González Tejada passed away. Mariano fell while climbing down a dangerous peak of the Picos de Europa mountains in Asturias, Spain. He was 38 years old.