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LOW-CO2 LCVs: Manufacturers air emissions and future fuel concerns
Date: 22 April 2013
Paul Barker speaks to leading van manufacturers about the CO2 difficulties facing the light commercial vehicle market in the future.
The European Commission has introduced some progressively strict targets on the emissions of light commercial vehicles, and crunch time is now looming for those tasked with making sure manufacturers hit the levels that will avoid some fairly draconian financial penalties.
"On the one hand the target for 2015 and 2020 is now decided by the EU, which gives us a clear perspective and target, which is important because we have a direction, but it's extremely challenging," Mercedes' van boss Volker Mornhinweg explains to BusinessCar. "We'll have to work like hell and spend a lot of Euros to achieve it. We'll have to work each opportunity to reduce friction in drivetrain, aerodynamics etc.
"We'll have to go into deep, deep detail through the whole process to get out each gramme - it's a very crucial and challenging job," he continues. "But we have a target so we have to go for it."
Barb Samardzich, Ford's European product development chief, agrees that it would be a tough challenge to achieve the EU's levels. "We can hit those targets - technically we know how to do it - the challenge is the cost," she says. "These are technologies that require a lot of expense added to deliver. As it becomes normal, hopefully economies of scale will come with suppliers."
