VAN Management 73

Full stops and commas A few months ago, the European Commission formulated proposals for new emission standards for vans by 2020. From that year onwards, vans would only be allowed to emit 147 grams of CO2 per kilometre, which corresponds to an average consumption of 6.3 litres per 100 kilometres. According to lobby group Transport & Environment (T&E), the EU is setting the bar far too low. Brace yourself for a jumble of figures that show why a stricter emission standard is necessary for both the environment and the end customer. Suppose the EU imposes a stricter CO2 restriction of a maximum of 118 grams per kilometre. “Technically perfectly feasible”, says Transport & Environment. “Manufacturers are obliged to develop cleaner technologies in any case in order to meet the much stricter standards for passenger cars. Then it is only a small step to adapt those technologies to the vans as well.” Transport & Environment may be taking a bit of a shortcut by dismissing the matter as a matter of points and commas, but it would at least mean a CO2 reduction of 2.7 million tonnes per year while saving the customer up to 6,500 euros. The ROI would therefore be – given the additional costs inherent in new technologies – around three years. Manufacturers in turn are brandishing sky-high development costs to indicate that an even stricter limit for vans is pure Kafka, especially given the current economic climate. A yes-no game that will probably continue for a while, we bet. Curious where the points and commas will ultimately be placed…