Industry News
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<< November 07 | January 08 >>
News for 27th December 2007
European Commission publishes Euro V1 emissions limit proposal for trucks and buses
The European Commission has proposed to reduce emissions from trucks and buses of nitrogen oxides by 80% and particulate matter by 66% compared to the Euro V stage, by 2013. The new ‘Euro VI’ standard foresees limit values similar to those of the U.S.A, and directives (which need to be transposed in 27 different national legislations) will be replaced by regulations which are directly applicable in all EU member states.
Besides more stringent limit values, the Euro V1 proposal introduces provisions on off cycle emissions, on-board diagnostics, access to repair information, durability of pollution control devices, replacement pollution control devices, conformity of in-service engines and vehicles, carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption measurement, and the introduction of a particle number limit value.
The proposal, which has been subject to stakeholder and internet consultations, will now be discussed by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. The proposal and its impact assessment are available at: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/automotive/pagesbackground/pollutant_emission/index.htm
DfT: Drivers who ‘ACT ON CO2’ could save £68m over twelve days of Christmas
Drivers who act on CO2 this festive season and follow the Department for Transport's Smarter Driving tips can help tackle climate change and save £68m or 8% of the total forecast expenditure on road fuel, which equates to 182,000 tonnes of CO2, according to Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick, who is launching a follow up burst of advertising for the Department's ACT ON CO2 campaign.
From New Year's Eve ads urging motorists to drive smarter will hit TV screens and national newspapers. Ads will also be run in consumer motoring magazines and lifestyle and motoring websites such as AOL and the AA buying guide. The advertising will star 'Engine', a character designed to show that it's not just the car; it's how you treat the engine that counts. More tips are available on http://www.dft.gov.uk/ActOnCO2 along with CO2 rankings of cars with the lowest CO2 emissions by class.
JAMA reports on Japanese experience of ‘integrated approach’ to CO2 reduction
On 27 November, the Forum for the Automobile and Society co-chaired by British Tory MEP Malcolm Harbour hosted a conference in Brussels on the potential contribution of an ‘integrated approach’ to the reduction of car-emitted CO2, where Hiroki Ota, Director General of JAMA Europe, highlighted Japan’s experience with the integrated approach so far.
Mr Ota began by explaining that the Japanese government is seeking by 2010 a transport-sector CO2 reduction of 24.5 million tonnes compared to the 2002 level. The efforts of Japanese car manufacturers are expected to cut a further 21 million tonnes of CO2. To meet the government target, Ota said, Japan has undertaken action in four distinct areas:
1. The first area includes measures to promote eco-driving through the wider use of clean-energy vehicles and the introduction of biofuels, as well as the adoption of fuel-conserving eco-driving practices by vehicle users. These combined measures are expected to cut CO2 emissions by 8.2 million tonnes.
2. A second area concerns measures to mitigate congestion and promote smoother traffic flow through road infrastructure improvements. Such measures should reduce CO2 by 5.1 million tonnes.
3. Third are measures to improve goods distribution efficiency through modal shifts to railway and maritime transport, and through greater efficiency in logistics (for example: through freight pooling and the use of larger trucks). The result should be a cut of 8.4 million tonnes of CO2.
4. The fourth area involves promoting an even greater use of public transport through the construction of new commuter lines and the enhanced management of traffic demand and transport networks—including bus routes—through the application of advanced information and communications technologies. These measures should reduce CO2 by a further 2.8 million tonnes.
Mr Ota’s presentation was followed by additional remarks on the integrated approach from a number of stakeholders, including:
- Fazilet Cinaralp, Secretary General of the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA), who highlighted the role of tyres and fuel savings. Ms Cinaralp stressed the significance of tyre rolling resistance, tyre pressure (under-inflation), misalignment, and driving style (braking). ETRMA has, she said, insisted on the need to establish and enforce international standards for tyres to contribute to greater road safety and environmental protection.
- Stephen Perkins, Head of the Joint Transport Research Centre of the OECD and International Transport Forum, outlined the main areas where governments need to invest: dissemination of information on eco-driving (to be built, he said, as a brand), driver training, and incentives, including fiscal incentives for in-car instruments.
Martin Callanan, the British MEP concluded the conference by noting that drivers/consumers had been at the centre of all of the presentations made at the Forum. He suggested that much remained to be done to educate the general public on CO2 reductions. Mr Callanan pointed out that Japan held an advantage compared to the EU since it was only applying its integrated transport policy to one country, rather than across 27 Member States.
Toyota designates Burnaston as one of four overseas model ‘sustainable plants’
Toyota Motor Corp. announced on 26 December the designation of four overseas production subsidiaries as model plants for carrying out "sustainable plant" activities, in addition to TMC's Tsutsumi Plant in Japan, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK is one of them, along with the plants in Northern France, in Mississippi (under construction) and Thailand.
Toyota’s "Sustainable plant" activities emphasize the role of nature in creating production sites that harmonize with their natural surroundings. TMC aims to create and operate such production sites with the following three perspectives in mind:
1. Achieving groundbreaking environmental performance by introducing innovative technology and kaizen (improvement) activities
2. Reducing CO2 by using renewable energy, including biomass and natural energy sources, such as solar power and wind power
3. Contributing to the local community and conserving the environment by planting trees at plants.
Toyota will formulate concrete initiatives for each plant giving consideration to the specific characteristics of each particular region and plant. In the future, it plans to gradually initiate the activities at other vehicle and component plants both in Japan and overseas.
Former Toyota chairman named climate change adviser to Japanese government
The Japanese government has named former Toyota Motor Corp. chairman Hiroshi Okuda as a special adviser on climate change, the Kyodo News agency reported on Boxing Day. Toyota embarked on the development of hybrid powertrains under Okuda's leadership. Japan is preparing to host a July 2008 G8 summit, at which climate change is to top the agenda, after the outline agreement on future climate change negotiations reached at Bali in December.