Professor Michael Dougan on the EU referendum
After several months of close monitoring, Germany's first public channel ARD reported yesterday about the delay tactics automakers are trying to use loopholes in EU legislation prohibiting harmful refrigerants climate from 2011 According to ARD, the industry intends to use R134a in new models labeled as old.
Yesterday, two million viewers could get a glimpse of the progress regarding the use of alternative refrigerants in German cars According to the first political program Kontraste aired at 9 pm on Channel 45 German public television ARD, the auto industry may have found a way to avoid the transition to a new refrigerant MAC mobile air conditioning at all, by not complying with EU legislation requiring the use of climate friendly refrigerants from 2011.
The background From 2011, no new passenger vehicle is authorized to use a refrigerant with a global warming impact than 150 GWP This applies initially only to new models, while six years later would be applicable to all cars by simply marking a new car model as a former with minor revisions, and thus obtain approval of partial type excluding air conditioning, the industry plans to continue to use the same harmful refrigerant R134a climate which would be prohibited by EU legislation accordingly, automakers would deliberately undermine the intention of the European Commission to reduce direct emissions of global warming refrigerants to help fulfill its obligations under the global treaty the Kyoto Protocol.
The Kontraste team, after studying the issue over the past six months, came to this conclusion after statements unequivocally by the association of the German automotive industry VDA to begin mass production of CO 2 MAC ago a year and a half has not resulted in a major contract signed with suppliers of innovative technology so far along, German car manufacturers have tested the chemical HFO-1234yf proposed had clearly indicated that they would not use flammable and toxic substance in the coming car, but instead of using the natural refrigerant CO2 R744.
In late 2008, Thomas Schlick, VDA said the car companies have already developed all the tests with the alternative refrigerant will now concretely put CO 2 MAC in practice Requested by ARD six months later, Schlick, speaking on behalf of all German car manufacturers do not want to answer the Kontraste team directly limited its response to concrete progress on the mass production of CO 2 technology There is a 2011 deadline to comply with the EU Directive and you can assume that we will respect all laws.
With the 2011 deadline approaches and the short time to prepare for a serial use of CO2 Technology, the only conclusion to be drawn is that the industry is preparing for a prolonged use MAC current systems beyond the date 2011.
Ask all major automakers in the Geneva motor show, what are the next steps for MAC, not one expert harmless to the environment has been able to meet the current environment of the bonus provided by the German government to the consumer break their old car and buy a model more environmentally friendly would be a dummy package that the auto industry would not be willing to build very green cars, as can be seen using the example automotive air conditioning technology of the past in ecological cars today would mislead consumers and prevent them from substantial savings by using a CO2 system.
To demonstrate clear support for R744, the Federal Environment Agency UBA, the Ministry of Environment, and the leader DUH German NGOs have now joined forces to promote the introduction of CO 2 in mobile air conditioning, public transport and trains A panel discussion will take place on 6 May in Berlin will keep you informed of the latest developments.
German TV says the boycott of the automotive industry of Community law, German industry.