BMW Wants Bigger Loopholes, More Breathing Room
BMW’s CEO Norbert Reithofer lambasted EU lawmakers for attempting to “hurt European industry in competition with the United States and China,” as Reuters reports. Said Reithofer at today’s General Meeting of Shareholders in Munich:
“In Europe, politicians are calling for a fleet average of 95 grams CO2 per kilometer in 2020. This target requires billions in investment, especially on the part of German automakers – and cannot be met without the use of alternative drive technology.”
Reithofer says the politicians are dreaming: “This is all about political wish-lists, and has nothing to do with technical analysis or feasibility … At some point, politicians will go a step too far.”
EU politicians last month backed what by some EU carmakers is seen as a compromise deal, and an improvement: The compromise keeps a 2020 emissions limit of 95 grams per kilometer as an average for new EU cars. It even introduces a new 2025 goal in a range of 68-78 g/km. However, it allows manufacturers to use supercredits to partly offset the requirements.
Reithofer hinted at these credits, saying that “this is no secret – electric vehicles will help us comply with CO2 regulations worldwide.”
Reaching the 95g average will be tough for a performance-heavy maker like BMW. Currently, BMW’s European fleet averages 138 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
The standards set by the Obama administration equate to 93 grams of CO2 per kilometer by 2025 for ordinary cars, excluding sport utility vehicles, with big loopholes. Reithofer wants similar-sized loopholes:
“The EU calls for alternative drive trains, but only credits manufacturers with a factor of 1.5 for using them – while the same technology is credited with a factor of five in China and a factor of two in the US. That seems inconsistent to me.”
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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If the countries of the automotive world agree that CO2 reduction is the way to go (and I don't see that happening anytime soon), then the goal should be to transition to zero carbon vehicles powered by either fuel cells or batteries. These would have to be powered by zero carbon fuels like nuclear, wind or solar produced electricity or hydrogen. In other words if a fuel has carbon in it, don't burn it. If we started on this tomorrow, it might be done in 50 years give or take.
There is a sort of semi-famous Chinese saying making the rounds: "I'd rather cry in a BMW car than laugh on the backseat of a bicycle." Obviously the lady in the photo hasn't gotten the message.