Though it has long supported stricter emissions standards across the globe, Ford will face softer rules in the U.S. following some recent changes made by the EPA, though it isn’t fighting for the same sort of revision in Europe. The same goes for Australia, where legislation known as the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) calls for increasingly stringent average CO2 targets across entire automaker fleets, which essentially forces companies to offer more low- or zero-emissions vehicles in the coming years. If automakers fail to meet these targets, they would have two choices – pay penalties, or buy credits from other automakers, which can be earned by meeting or exceeding those same targets. However, a Ford-backed group does in fact support softened emissions regulations for pickups in Australia, specifically.
That group is the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), which stated that it “welcomes today’s changes by the Albanese Government on the New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES) and recognizes it as a step in the right direction. However, we continue to have concerns about the impending challenges facing industry and motorists. The FCAI will review the draft legislation in detail to understand the impact to the industry and to consumers. We call on the Government to release the full legislation and modeling that forms the basis for their policy.”
The changes FCAI is referring to pertain to relaxed emissions proposals for pickups in particular, changes that came about as a direct result of lobby groups like it, according to Reuters. Energy Minister Chris Bowen is proposing that pickups be classified as light commercial cars in that part of the world, which would mean that they’d be exempt from tougher fuel economy standards moving forward. The legislation was introduced to the parliament this week, though some companies – including Tesla and Polestar – have ended their relationship with the FCAI over its fight to relax emissions standards.
“Not everybody has got everything they have asked for. Some people wanted us to go harder and faster, some had concerns and wanted us to slow, but everybody here today has had a say,” Bowen said.
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