Hyundai Motor affiliate Kia is calling for CO2 regulation harmony across Europe, branding the current mass of different rules as a “complicated equation”.
Speaking to just-auto in Barcelona as the automaker launched the redesigned Picanto, Kia Motors Europe marketing and product planning head Benny Oeyen highlighted the confusing array of CO2 requirements across the 27 European Union states.
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“What we would really like is that there would be European ‘harmonisation’,” he said. “This drives us totally up the wall. In France, we have to be below 110g to have a tax break, in Belgium, 105g and Portugal [different] – it becomes a complicated equation.
“What would help us is if governments would say instead of working with this step [approach], instead say we will tax every gram of CO2.”
Oeyen argued a “sliding scale” of CO2 taxation would be more logical than the current system, although securing agreement from all 27 member states is likely to prove tough.
“For every gram you emit, you tax so many pence or pounds,” he said. “Our CO2 is generally going down, we are getting a grip on that.”
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By GlobalDataHe cited the upcoming redesigned Rio with a three cylinder diesel version with CO2 emissions of just 85g as proof of the manufacturer’s intent for low carbon and fuel efficiency.
“We believe we can still do huge steps in terms of fuel consumption,” he added.
