New rules on emissions for SUVs, diesels

Sports utility vehicles and diesel cars will have to meet stringent new emissions targets if European Commission proposals unveiled last week are adopted. But, while the environment may benefit, consumers may be hit in the pocket as car-makers come up with new ways of making cars cleaner.

The crackdown is part of a range of measures set out by the Commission to cut harmful pollutants by changing the way vehicles are made.

The "Euro 5" plan has been described as "ambitious but realistic" by the Commission. The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) said car-makers were "examining the feasability of the plan" and will respond by a September deadline.

Under the draft proposals, the Commission seeks an 80 per cent reduction in particulate matter from diesel cars to 5mg per km. The limit has been set to 25mg per km since the start of 2005 under the Commission's previous "Euro 4" plan. This in itself represented a reduction of 50 per cent from the 50 mg/km limit in operation from 2000.

The Commission also wants a 20 per cent reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions from diesels and a 25 per cent cut from petrol cars. The plan also suggests car-makers ensuring emission control devices such as catalytic converters are longer-lasting.

Crucially for increasingly popular SUVs, the Commission wants to end the designation of passenger vehicles with a mass of over 2500kg as "light commercial vehicles" - these have less-ambitious emission standards.

The current set up "doesn't make much sense", according to Commission spokesman Gregor Kreuzhuber. "These cars are, of course, partially fun cars and are also being used in normal traffic. We want to close this loophole."

Kreuzhuber said under the new rules purchase prices of such vehicles might rise, but this would be "perfectly reasonable if you look at the overall cost of such cars."

SIMI chief executive Cyril McHugh said many SUVs on the road in Ireland would be similar in engine size to cars and would therefore not fall under the new Commission proposal. The motor industry had "spent billions on new technologies" to make vehicles more environmentally friendly, he said. "Emissions are down 90 per cent over the past 20 years and there will be continuing reduction. If you take a new car today, it would take 30 of them to give out the emissions of a new 1970s car."

McHugh pointed out that Lexus had developed the world's first hybrid SUV, the 400h, which runs on petrol and electricity. It complements the acclaimed Toyota Prius.

Commission vice-president Günter Verheugen, who has responsibility for industry, said the "Euro 5" plan was "ambitious, but realistic - the new emission limits will open the way to cleaner cars. This is good for the health of our citizens and the environment.

"Industry gets a clear perspective and the time to prepare to make clean, high-quality cars without endangering competitiveness. This is the only road to future success. It's now up to stakeholders to have their say."

The Commission has called for feedback on the proposals by September 9th next, adding that the proposals may by amended to reflect suggestions. It said any new rules would not be in force until 2008 at the earliest.