In its current form, when introduced in 2025, it would mean a reduction in the annual domestic production of passenger cars by 300,000 to 400,000 vehicles, i.e. by 30 percent, and a drop in GDP by two to three percent. This was announced on Monday during a round table by representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and the Association of the Automotive Industry. They also signed a joint declaration that supports the Czech government’s efforts to change the standard and postpone it.
“We support the Czech Republic’s position in the request to extend the time for implementation by at least four years for new types of vehicles and five years for existing types of vehicles with valid Euro 6 homologation, from the moment when all parameters and conditions to be fulfilled are clearly approved, that is, only from the moment of the adoption of the entire secondary legislation,” the unions state in the declaration.
According to them, the standard will have another negative effect on employment in the automotive industry and related sectors, where it may affect up to 700,000 jobs in total. At the same time, due to the unavailability of cheap commercial vehicles for the transport of goods, retail prices may increase by more than five percent at one time, they pointed out.
Kupka: We will change the emission standard for cars in the EU
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The Euro 7 standard in its current proposed form should, among other things, limit emissions of nitrogen oxides and solid particles released into the air from 2025, not only from exhausts, but also from tires and brakes. According to experts, this will mean the end of the production of affordable small cars. According to their statements, the proposal does not provide enough time for car companies to plan the development of new vehicles, install appropriate technologies, contract suppliers and retrain employees.
According to Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS), the Czech government is against the current form of the standard and its effective date. The Czech Republic proposes a more realistic time frame for the introduction of the standard three to four years after its effectiveness, including the approval of all accompanying methodologies. It also wants to relax the conditions or remove the tracking of particles from tire and brake pads, or more precisely set the conditions for online monitoring of emissions on board vehicles.
“At stake is the competitiveness of European industry and the threat to people’s mobility,” said Kupka. According to him, the ecological effect is questionable, because it will lead to a slowdown in the renewal of the vehicle fleet and the longer use of non-ecological cars.
According to the automakers, it is technically impossible to meet the requirements of the current proposal. Martin Hrdlička, director of Škoda Auto’s engine section, or Martin Peleška, general manager of Toyota CR, expressed themselves in this spirit.
“There was a wave of resistance against Euro 7 not only in the Czech Republic, but also in other countries. Although the EU’s intention is the same as the direction of car companies and thus the goal is towards zero-emission transport, unfortunately the original proposal is in a state where it is not realistic to meet its requirements. Whether it is a time point of view or a list of all new requirements for new cars without implementation standards and guidelines. The automaker’s strategic planning period is at least five years, so such fundamental changes need to be put into context much earlier,” said Peleška.
MEP Alexandr Vondra (ODS), who is the rapporteur of the proposal in the European Parliament, believes that it is necessary to get large European countries, especially France and Germany, for the proposed adjustments. According to him, the proposal will probably be approved in the plenary in mid-October. He also stated that if Europe switches completely to electric mobility, everything in it will be Chinese within 15 years.
Volkswagen called for more than a year’s delay of the Euro 7 standard
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