Nissan, Suzuki and Mazda make least progress

[SoCalCTS]

International Herald Tribune

Nissan, Suzuki and Mazda make least progress towards cutting CO2 levels

The Associated Press

Published: October 25, 2006

BRUSSELS, Belgium Nissan Motor Co., Suzuki Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. were at the bottom of a league charting how close carmakers are to cutting carbon dioxide emissions by a 2008 target, an environmental transport lobby said Wednesday.

Some three-quarters of the 20 most popular car brands sold in Europe last year are not on track to making more fuel-efficient vehicles — despite the car industry promising to cut emissions that cause climate change a quarter below 1995 levels, the European Federation for Transport and Environment, or T&E, said in a report.

Only models made by Fiat SpA, Citroen, Renault SA, Ford Motor Co. and Peugeot are close to offering a range of cars that use 140 grams of fuel to drive a kilometer, it said.

Europe's biggest selling carmaker Volkswagen AG is only halfway to that target, with its cars averaging 159g/km, it said. This was "starkly different" from direct rival Renault which had cut emissions to 149g/km, making a far greater effort than VW, it said.

While Toyota Motor Corp. sells a low-emission hybrid model, the Prius, it was not making its other cars as fuel-efficient, it said, ranking the company seventh.

Japanese and Korean automakers overall had a disappointing performance with no brands in the top six and three of the worst performers.

CO2 emissions from transport — both cars and airlines — are growing and jeopardize the EU's commitment under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to reduce emissions by 8 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.

"If climate targets are to be met, companies must improve efficiency across their entire range," T&E said. "One or two very efficient models that sell in limited numbers are not enough."

The group said it was clearly possible for car companies to meet the target but the lack of incentives — and legally binding rules — has not encouraged them to make more fuel-efficient models.

Transport made up 28 percent of Europe's CO2 emissions in 2004, the European Environment Agency said. Half of that comes from passenger cars and vans.

The study was commissioned from the London-based Institute for European Environmental Policy which analyzed sales data from 1997-2005 supplied by R.L. Polk Marketing Systems GmbH.

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On The Net:

Transport & Environment: http://www.transportenvironment.org

BRUSSELS, Belgium Nissan Motor Co., Suzuki Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. were at the bottom of a league charting how close carmakers are to cutting carbon dioxide emissions by a 2008 target, an environmental transport lobby said Wednesday.

Some three-quarters of the 20 most popular car brands sold in Europe last year are not on track to making more fuel-efficient vehicles — despite the car industry promising to cut emissions that cause climate change a quarter below 1995 levels, the European Federation for Transport and Environment, or T&E, said in a report.

Only models made by Fiat SpA, Citroen, Renault SA, Ford Motor Co. and Peugeot are close to offering a range of cars that use 140 grams of fuel to drive a kilometer, it said.

Europe's biggest selling carmaker Volkswagen AG is only halfway to that target, with its cars averaging 159g/km, it said. This was "starkly different" from direct rival Renault which had cut emissions to 149g/km, making a far greater effort than VW, it said.

While Toyota Motor Corp. sells a low-emission hybrid model, the Prius, it was not making its other cars as fuel-efficient, it said, ranking the company seventh.

Japanese and Korean automakers overall had a disappointing performance with no brands in the top six and three of the worst performers.

CO2 emissions from transport — both cars and airlines — are growing and jeopardize the EU's commitment under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to reduce emissions by 8 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.

"If climate targets are to be met, companies must improve efficiency across their entire range," T&E said. "One or two very efficient models that sell in limited numbers are not enough."

The group said it was clearly possible for car companies to meet the target but the lack of incentives — and legally binding rules — has not encouraged them to make more fuel-efficient models.

Transport made up 28 percent of Europe's CO2 emissions in 2004, the European Environment Agency said. Half of that comes from passenger cars and vans.

The study was commissioned from the London-based Institute for European Environmental Policy which analyzed sales data from 1997-2005 supplied by R.L. Polk Marketing Systems GmbH.

___

On The Net:

Transport & Environment: http://www.transportenvironment.org